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Re: Microsoft Still Throws Dirt at GNU/Linux with Silverlight, Popfly

Verily I say unto thee, that Kelton spake thusly:

> Pardon my naivety, but what is a 'rube'?

Oh the irony!

It's an American slang word often used by "carnie" (carnival) workers to
describe their "marks" (victims, suckers, i.e. "customers"). The word is
also less predominantly used by other forms of conmen. More generally it
means unsophisticated or naive. Origins: "Rustic Reubens" in reference
to the hicks (farmers) typified historically by the population of the
city??? of Reubens (population 72), Idaho.

Here's a photo of the thriving metropolis of Reubens:

http://www.rogerdaugherty.com/images/reubensdrug.jpg

And the local subway:

http://www.railvids.com/Rick/Camas/Camas.htm

In this context, Microsoft "customers" are the rubes, and Sweaty Ballmer
is the carnie worker operating the coconut shy, where the toy "prize" is
one of Windows, Office, the Xbox, the Zune, or any one of a selection of
other junk items. What the rubes don't know is that the game is rigged,
the coconuts are weighted down, making it nearly impossible to dislodge
them with the pitiful ping-pong ball given for the task, and if (by some
miracle) the rube should actually *win* something, the "toys" are cheap
rubbish that don't work, and only last long enough to make it out the
carnival gate before disintegrating.

Meanwhile, during his visit to the carnival, the rube has been conned
out of a significant amount of money, and receives nothing but worthless
junk in return. The carnie operators argue that they "give value" by
entertaining the rubes with these games, but it is highly questionable
how "entertaining" it is to be suckered by conmen, unless of course one
*is* the conman, then it is undoubtedly *very* entertaining ... and
profitable, of course.

Here's a video of a carnie worker touting for rubes (the chequered suit
and cheesy patter are a big give-away):

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=tGvHNNOLnCk

There's also a victim support group for rubes conned by this particular
carnie operator, here:

news://microsoft.public.windows.vista.general

-- 
K.
http://slated.org

.----
| "[Microsoft] are willing to lose money for years and years just to
|  make sure that you don't make any money, either." - Bob Cringely.
|  - http://blog.businessofsoftware.org/2007/07/cringely-the-un.html
`----

Fedora release 8 (Werewolf) on sky, running kernel 2.6.23.8-63.fc8
 00:50:14 up 18 days, 22:26,  5 users,  load average: 0.40, 0.22, 0.24

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