That all fine and dandy, I suppose, but it leaves me wondering what's so unchristian about regular linux. Sure UCE does have an online bible, a bible dictionary and a bible study program, but you can get those to install on any old Linux distribution, for free. So, I read further and here's what the difference is.
Ubuntu Christian Edition also includes fully integrated web content parental controls powered by Dansguardian. A graphical tool to adjust the filter settings has also been developed specifically for Ubuntu Christian Edition. These features are truly what sets Ubuntu Christian Edition apart.It appears that for linux to be "christian" it needs to be crippled and to have the capability of censoring information.
It seems to me that many fundamentalist christians are afraid of knowledge. Instead of teaching their children how to process that bad stuff, they just hide it. I was raised under that philosophy and I grew up to be a very naive and gullable young man. It took me years to learn the critical thinking skills that should have been taught to me when I was much younger. I'm not even sure that I have recovered completely 20 years later. I can understand blocking pornography (maybe). However, I know for a fact that many users of this OS are going to use it to block lots of stuff besides porn.
Man, I'm tempted to install this on the other machine. Maybe, I'll write a review of it and post methods of disabling the parental controls. I am curious to see what the default sites to block are with the parental controls.
11 comments:
From the DansGauardian website:
As a side effect, DansGuardian also helps maintain freedom of speech by moving the censoring to the choice of the individual rather than imposing a specific ideal on the whole world.
The author of that page fails to mention that his software could be used to impose a specific ideal on others. Thechnically, it is used to impose specific ideal on others. At schools, at workplaces, in homes.
Don't get me wrong. I can see the usefulness of filtering content in the workplace and at schools. However, this software could be used by an ISP to limit content for all of its customers. It has as much potent for evil as any other censoring software.
Robert,
The Christian Linux is better, surely you know that .Christian Mode of Operation. Take what the world has, change the label, and say BETTER!
Even when I was a Christian I hated this kind of stuff. So little originality in the Church.
Are you a linux nut, windows hater? :)
I do computer work on the side. (repair, service, and the like) Pretty much a Windows guy. Dinked around a bit with Ubuntu. Quite a learning curve for us windows guys.
Bruce
"Are you a linux nut, windows hater?"
I'm a linux nut, but I don't particularly hate winders. I'm kinda sold on Vista, even though it is bloat.
"I do computer work on the side. (repair, service, and the like) Pretty much a Windows guy. Dinked around a bit with Ubuntu. Quite a learning curve for us windows guys."
Me too. I have a CompTIA A+ certification. My first Linux Distro was Mandrake back in 2002. I then found VectorLinux and Slackware and I was pretty much sold on those. I think I might try Ubuntu. There is a new version coming out pretty soon. Slackware, PCOS, and FreeBSD (not linux, but similar) are other possibilities. Then again, I might dink around (as you say) with this Jesubuntu. It might be interesting.
I run Ubuntu on the computer that I'm using right now. I'm not particularly well-versed in unix systems, but I find Ubuntu extremely easy to use despite the small handful of mostly insignificant glitches. I recommend it.
There's a Satanic Ubuntu too, meant to be a tongue-in-cheek response to the Christian Ubuntu. There was some controversy a couple years ago when the DistroWatch maintainer thought it was too offensive to list.
I prefer FreeBSD when it comes to unix-like operating systems. And of course, it has a damn fine mascot.
Chris, that's funny. White on black is just not my thing. However, turning Ubuntu Christian Edition in Ubuntu Blasphemy edition may be more my speed.
There's also a Muslim version of Ubuntu if I remember correctly. Pretty sure it had even more censorship and filters.
Of course, Muslims would argue that all versions of linux are Muslim versions.
(Was that joke too obscure?)
My first installation of UCE went fine, but when I rebooted the religious software exorcized all the deamons and now it just refuses to boot anymore. :) Just Kidding.
Seriously, I think I am going to start with Vector 6.0. I have used vector since version 3.5, and it's just a great distro. It's small and fast, yet it's still customizable. The earlier version were very stable, so I'm expecting a stable installation this time around. You can't beat Slackware based distributions.
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