As geeks everywhere engage in endless battles over which operating system is best, Likewise Software has come along with an idea I can really get behind. The identity management software vendor has cooked up with an ingenious plan to encourage a cease-fire among IT pros and donate some cold, hard cash to a cause that really matters -- helping the civilian and military casualties of real war.
Likewise Software is selling t-shirts emblazoned with the phrases "End the War" and "Peace." Both depict familiar peace symbols and mention Linux, Unix, Mac, and Windows by name. Company CEO Barry Crist says the idea was inspired by the ongoing hostility he has personally witnessed within the IT community -- something he says has gone on for too long.
Crist says he hopes the t-shirts will help put a stop to ongoing OS wars and let wearers "actively declare" support for ending them. He says t-shirts were chosen over other custom items because they are "pretty much all most system administrators wear." The company's Web site promises, "While dissimilar and poorly integrated platforms are costly to IT budgets, the costs of real war are not a joke. All proceeds from the sale of Likewise t-shirts will go towards related charities."
Of course, it takes more than t-shirts to bring an end to the OS wars. While Apple, Mac, and Linux users fight amongst themselves, Likewise has been busy creating software that lets businesses integrate multiple operating systems into a Microsoft Active Directory environment. Likewise Open securely authenticates Linux, Unix and Mac systems with a unified directory, and Likewise Enterprise adds migration, auditing, and reporting modules.
While some might call the t-shirts gimmicky, I think anything that encourages unity instead of infighting within the IT community is a fine idea. The industry is already struggling with massive layoffs and outsourcing. Those lucky enough to still have jobs are facing mounting work-related stress. At the end of the day, is there really any reason to bicker over which operating system reigns supreme?
No, there isn't. So quit your bellyaching and go buy a t-shirt.