Let Sleeping Dogs Lie? Hell No.

by Dietrich Schmitz

My colleague, co-founder of Linux Advocates +Katherine Noyes, wrote a story which sets the record straight on the need for rational, civil discourse in the Linux Community.

It needed to be said and I thank her for taking a stand on principles which get continually violated.

As for myself, I do tend to be acerbic in my approach to writing and exchanges with others.  But that doesn't mean I don't care or pay respect to others' ideas when tendered appropriately. (Image credit: sanitysentinel.blogspot.com)

Many of the stories are written to challenge the status quo thinking and I don't sugar-coat anything so as to be politically correct.  This site has no plan on changing that and will continue to turn over and expose issues that  have importance to the Linux community.

Aside from the occasional, innocent pull of another website's misquote, for which I take corrective action when needed, I offer opinions which are at times not popular.  As the saying goes: "Opinions are like colons; everybody has one."

One of my most recent stories, Confused by FuSE, yielded some quite mean-spirited, inappropriate feedback, some of which was deleted.  My opinions are mine, and they didn't warrant me being tap danced upon with football cleats.  You can read the story and judge for yourself.

Still, I do take full responsibility for my own personal conduct.  That is what individual accountability is all about.  And, I hope everyone will stop to think about what they do beforehand and act responsibly.  Otherwise, all of the claims of tribalism and fractious behavior in the Linux community will hold true.

So, will I let sleeping dogs lie?  Hell no. You can count on that. :)

-- Dietrich

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The Rise of 'Open Source': It's Not Just About Software

by Katherine Noyes 

Here in the tech world, it's become increasingly common to see market research and reports testifying to the growing ubiquity of open source software, such as the one just last week from Black Duck Software and North Bridge Venture Partners indicating that open source is “eating” the software world, as the authors put it.

What's typically not recognized, however, is that this trend toward openness in software is just one piece of a much bigger picture. In fact, openness is a trend that's taking hold throughout numerous aspects of the modern world, to the benefit of everyday people like you and me.

“Open,” in other words, appears to be the future – whether we're talking software or beyond.

Ready for a quick tour? Most Linux advocates are already well aware of the benefits of open source when it comes to software, but here are two other kinds of openness I've come to appreciate from the writing I do outside the tech world.

1. The Crowdsourcing Trend

It used to be that companies were expected to create products, and consumers were expected to consume them. Legislators were expected to create laws, and citizens were expected to obey them. Investors were expected to provide funds, and companies were expected to generate a return on that investment.

Today, that's all been turned on its head. Companies routinely recruit consumers for help designing products; not only that, but they use those ideas and even reward those who came up with them. Legislators like former California Senator Joe Simitian invite – and act upon -- constituents' input for conceiving new laws.

The explosive success of sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, meanwhile, is evidence of the key role consumers have begun to play in funding the products and services that matter to them in virtually every niche and industry.

The bottom line, as I've said before, is that no organization is an “island” anymore. Consumers and citizens increasingly expect – and are afforded – openness and an active role.

2. 'Transparency Tyranny'

At the same time, no government or corporation can continue to get away with operating in secret, or behind closed doors. The global economic crisis of recent years has made it all too clear to citizens how much power has been abused at their expense, and the ongoing activities of watchdog organizations like Wikileaks have continued to drive that message home.

Except in very rare cases – Apple, in fact, might well be one of them, at least among a niche set of consumers -- citizens and customers are no longer willing to trust companies or governments to do what's best for them. The result is a phenomenon that Trendwatching.com (sister site to Springwise, one of the publications I write for) has named “Transparency Tyranny” for the fact that corporate and governmental organizations no longer have anywhere to hide; citizens and consumers are always watching and publishing their assessments for all the world to see.

The world is opening up, in other words. The horses are out of the barn, and they're not going back again. The interesting part now is to watch how the organizations that affect our lives choose to respond.

-- Katherine

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Jason Kennedy Joins Linux Advocates Contributors

by Dietrich Schmitz

On behalf of +Katherine Noyes and myself I am pleased to announce a new contributing writer, +Jason Kennedy, has joined Linux Advocates.

From his LinkedIn biography:

Jason Kennedy is an experienced systems administrator focused on Linux and Internet technology.

His specialties include Virtualization via VMware & Citrix; Linux & Windows administration, wireless and networking, internet technology, and Voice over IP (VoIP).

Jason will be a regular contributor and will set his own schedule coming and going as his time permits.


Welcome Jason!

-- Dietrich

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Newstex Syndicates Linux Advocates

by Dietrich Schmitz

On behalf of +Katherine Noyes and myself, I am happy to announce that Linux Advocates has entered into an agreement with Newstex to join their syndication network.

Newstex syndicates content to their clients, which include Amazon Kindle, LexisNexis, CQ Rollcall and Thomson Reuters.  Newstex approached Linux Advocates to syndicate our site because of the quality of the content and the frequency at which it is published.

Other publishers, that already syndicate with Newstex include the Los Angeles Times, CNET, The Economist, The Nation, ProPublica, The Houston Chronicle, CBS Interactive, International Business Times, and Deutsche Welle.

Newstex distributes content to subscription-based information platforms.

We continue to explore other avenues for syndication, sponsorship, and partnership arrangements and pledge our commitment to continual improvement of our advocacy and seek to refine and produce high-quality content.

 

Dietrich T. Schmitz

Site Owner

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What Is Our Goal Here?

By Katherine Noyes 

It's no secret that Linux tends to be a controversial topic, and that's doubly true when those participating in the discussion care passionately about the free and open source operating system. No big surprise, then, that in its first few months, Linux Advocates has seen some heated debates.

Whether the topic is why Linux matters so much, which distro is best, how best to refer to the OS, or whether a particular distro is taking the right approach, there has been no shortage of passionate opinions, and that's exactly as it should be. It seems safe to say that we all care about Linux, and typically our views are an expression of that deep-seated interest.

Where things take an unfortunate turn is when we all believe we're arguing for the advancement of Linux, yet we're not actually pursuing the same, specific goals, causing us to disagree on the details. There have been a few less-than-perfectly-cordial exchanges on these pages in the past week or so that have made me believe part of the problem here is the existence of divergent objectives.

So, I now think this is a critical question for those interested in advocating Linux. Namely, what, exactly, are we trying to achieve?

Measures of success

My own general goal in writing about and trying to advance Linux is essentially wider mainstream adoption. I'd love to see Linux used and embraced by more everyday users, bringing its many and varied benefits to more of the computing world. That, to me, would be the ultimate measure of success for the OS. It's also why I tend to take a pretty pragmatic approach, steeped in years of experience in the mainstream computing world.

I do believe, though, that other Linux advocates have different goals. I can't presume to speak for them, of course, but here are a few I'm inclined to infer:

* To create an archetype -- the ideal, perfect operating system

* To prove the innate merit of open source and/or free software

* To take market share away from Microsoft and/or Apple

* To promote a more cost-effective approach to computing

* To advance a particular distro or project in which they have a vested interest of some kind.

In search of a common understanding

Some of these goals overlap, of course, and there are surely others as well. 

In any case, however, I think it's important that we clarify what it is we're trying to achieve here – whether it's one or many things. Only then can we discuss and argue rationally, working from a common understanding.

What do you hope to achieve for Linux? Take a few minutes to think about it, because I'm not sure it's always entirely obvious. When you think you know the answer, please share it in the comments.

In the grand scheme of things, we here in the Linux community are still a relatively small crew. It would be a shame to let ourselves be divided by simple misunderstandings as to what we're trying to achieve.

-- Katherine

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Linux Advocates Traffic Tops 15,000 Pageviews

by Dietrich Schmitz

Riding on a huge wave of referral traffic from LXer.com which posted the Fuduntu: Back to Fundamentals, Gets it Right ~ Linux Advocates story combined with the good news story Linux Foundation Becomes Sponsor ~ Linux Advocates, traffic rose today to a new record high of over 15,000 pageviews for the day.

It has been +Katherine Noyes' and my goal to build good content here that readers value and to see the crest come through is quite encouraging as we continue our journey in constructing and extending this website further.

We hope readers derive value from what they find here and we will redouble our efforts to ensure the standard of quality writing receives continuous improvement.

On behalf of Katherine and myself, thank you for your continued support.

-- Dietrich

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Linux Foundation Becomes Sponsor

by Dietrich Schmitz

On behalf of +Katherine Noyes and myself, I am happy to announce that the Linux Foundation has become an official sponsor of Linux Advocates.

A special 'Thank You' goes out to +Jennifer Cloer, Director of Communications, for the Foundation's generous donation.

-- Dietrich

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One Last Plea: Time Is Running Out. Please Help!

By +Katherine Noyes 

There are now just five days remaining in our Indiegogo campaign to help Linux Advocates keep going, and unfortunately we still have a long way to go. I know how tiresome fundraising efforts can be for those on the listening end, but this one is so urgent I feel I must make one last plea.

Resting on the success of this campaign is the ongoing viability of our Linux Advocates site, as many of you already know. Dietrich Schmitz has poured his heart and soul into this site over the past few weeks in order to provide an honest, unbiased forum for news and opinions about Linux advocacy. There isn't anything else like it out there, and based on our readership figures there's a great deal of interest in it. We truly believe this can become a self-sustaining site over time, but we need funds to allow it to get there.

Closely intertwined with Linux Advocates' future, however, is the piece of this story some may not realize. Namely, Dietrich has been unemployed for over a year now. Part of his motivation for launching this site was the hope that he could turn his lifelong passion for Linux into a new career that would sustain him and his family as well.

Unfortunately, Dietrich's personal funds are dwindling rapidly, and in his neck of the woods -– a small town in upstate New York -- his prospects for employment are not looking good. Without immediate financial support for Linux Advocates, Dietrich's own future is in serious peril as well.

Won't you please help? Any amount will make a difference for Linux Advocates and for our mutual friend Dietrich, who is one of the most passionate Linux advocates in the world today. Please, please help us keep this going.

-- Katherine Noyes

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Linux or GNU/Linux: Is the Distinction Worth Preserving?

by +Katherine Noyes

As a young reporter just starting to cover Linux not so very many years ago, I quickly learned that simply calling it “Linux” is a grave mistake in the eyes of some.

“It should be GNU/Linux,” they'd urge. “Linux is just the kernel.”

That distinction was made crystal-clear for me when I had the opportunity to interview none other than Richard Stallman, whose willingness to be interviewed was actually conditional upon LinuxInsider's agreement to use the term “GNU/Linux.” (Image credit: springfieldpc.dyndns.org)

“Linux is just one component of the GNU/Linux system, which is, in turn, just a part of the world of free software,” Stallman told me back then. “You'll have no chance of understanding or explaining anything about the Free World if you don't keep those distinctions straight.”

The Free Software Foundation, of course, provides a very nice explanation of the difference on its site.

Rarely sighted

Fast forward to today, and I still occasionally hear the same argument made. Just the other day, in fact, I was reminded by a reader of the distinction.

Take a quick scan through the Linux media, however – including not just LinuxInsider but also Linux Today, Linux Journal, the Linux Line section at PCWorld, and the site you're reading now, among numerous other publications – and you'll soon get a pretty strong indication that the distinction is rarely upheld.

You won't see it made routinely by the Linux Foundation or on Linux.com, and Linux creator Linus Torvalds himself has reportedly dismissed it.

My question to you, fellow Linux Advocates, is whether it's really still worth making. Personally, I don't think it is.

More than a mouthful

I realize that there are strong historical and philosophical reasons for separating the Linux kernel from the GNU system.

I also realize that it's technically more accurate to call it GNU/Linux.

What I'm also aware of, however, is that few beyond the inner core of free software enthusiasts still adhere to or understand the distinction; to most mainstream users, it's baffling. The term GNU/Linux is klunky and unwieldy in printed text, and even more so when you're speaking.

Meanwhile, as Linux advocates, we all want to promote Linux, and to advance its use over proprietary counterparts – right? We'd like to see Linux covered as much as possible for all its many successes, making clear to the mainstream world that it is now a fully competitive alternative.

Are those goals worth sacrificing in the interests of a linguistic distinction? I'm thinking not.

Connecting the dots

Please make no mistake: I am nothing if not an advocate for Linux and free software in general.

Personally, however, I'd rather see Linux trumpeted on the pages of PCWorld and other mainstream publications as “Linux” than see stories passed by because of the niggling debate over its name, which tends to make editors groan. Personally, I'd rather be able to have a conversation with an SMB about the advantages of “Linux” than have to bog down my speech with the clumsy “GNU/” as well, thereby potentially confusing them.

Realistically, we're lucky if mainstream users and readers today are familiar with Linux, per se; I generally make sure to add the “Linux” name to headlines involving distros such as Ubuntu and Fedora to help them make that connection.

But to add “GNU/” to the conversation? It's unreasonably idealistic, and just doesn't make sense. If we want to advance the use of Linux in the mainstream world, let's leave the history and the deep-seated philosophy for the background.

It won't get lost, I promise; rather, it will still be fully available for those who care. For all others, it will free up the “Linux” term to help us chip away faster at all the many proprietary monopolies in this computing world.

In closing, I offer you this last bit of evidence. Go to Wikipedia.org's home page and search on "GNU/Linux." What do you get? It redirects you to "Linux." That, I think, sums up the prevailing sentiment nicely.

-- Katherine Noyes

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Guest Writer Dr. Roy Schestowitz on Deck

By +Dietrich Schmitz

As part of a regular weekly series, +Katherine Noyes and I will be having Guest Writer appearances on Linux Advocates.

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Roy Schestowitz,  TechRights.org founder, has kindly and graciously accepted an invitation to write and will be making a 'Guest Writer' appearance.

Dr. Roy Schestowitz

From his LinkedIn background summary:

"I am a Software Engineer, interdisciplinary researcher, and an advocate of fair competition. I hold a doctoral degree in Medical Biophysics. In the hours of daytime I work for a company where I look after free/libre software and I also perform novel research for one of the world's top computer science departments."

On behalf of Katherine Noyes, myself, and staff, I would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Schestowitz for donating his time to Linux Advocates.  

--Dietrich

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Linux in Mobile: World Domination Complete

By +Katherine Noyes 

(Credit:www.guilli.com)

It seems fair to say that most Linux fans have already become accustomed to Linux's dominance on supercomputers and servers, as well as Linux-based Android's ever-growing success in the mobile realm.

What's going to take some getting used to, however, is the fact that, even beyond Android, Linux is increasingly dominating mobile computing.

Yes, there's iOS, which has enjoyed undeniable success; the same can hardly be said, however, for Windows, while BlackBerry is in a state of uncertain transition. Just about all the other winning or up-and-coming platforms, however, are based on Linux.

Let's take a look at some of the leading contenders.

Read More

Guest Writer Benjamin Kerensa on Deck

As part of a regular weekly series, Katherine Noyes and I will be having Guest Writer appearances on Linux Advocates.

We are pleased to announce that +Benjamin Kerensa,  internationally recognized open source evangelist, community manager, author and speaker, has kindly and graciously accepted an invitation to write and will be making a 'Guest Writer' appearance this coming week.

Benjamin Kerensa, Open Source Evangelist

From his G+ bio:

"Hi, I'm Benjamin Kerensa and I am a Open Source Evangelist and Mozillian who has a unending passion for Free and Open Source Software. I'm a Contributing Columnist for Technorati and IntenseBlog. Additionally I'm heavily "Active" in the FOSS Community both Locally and Internationally and have recently become a Mozilla WebFWD Scout.

I live in the Pacific Northwest."

On behalf of Katherine Noyes, myself, and staff, I would like to extend a special thank you to Benjamin for donating his time to Linux Advocates.  --Dietrich

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