This was a gathering of friends, just getting together to catch up on our respective lives. Most of us were in good spirits, save for the friend who just caused the silence, who was in a baiting mood. I knew that my devious friend was writing a book for Microsoft Press about server administration and that he was looking at Linux a bit to compare it to the Microsoft products. I had actually been helping him a bit with the project, if only to make sure he got his facts relatively straight. I knew I was being baited, most likely as a goof, since I tend to believe in letting others practice what they will, as long as it does no harm to themselves and others.
Diversity is diversity, after all, whether it be ethnic, lifestyle choice, or technical affiliation.
All my friends know this, so we never seriously snipe at each other's gigs. He usually gets mad at things when he's made a mistake, and we all knew it. Already this seemed like a repeat of conversations I had had in the past. I took the conciliatory path, since I really wanted to get back to my sandwich. It is not.