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Hey! Me, too! After I read that BBC article, I was so outraged that I have started learning Qt/KDE programming (got that new O'Reilly book; looks good so far), and I plan to contribute apps to KDE as soon as I get it all figured out. It may take a while, though... :-)

So, thanks for the inspiration, Miguel!

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Get your fresh, hot kernels right here!

Microsoft has one purpose statement: _MAKE MONEY_. All their actions are just logical extensions of this goal (combined with a few shady morals). Microsoft doesn't really have anything against Linux, but they want to destroy it because the Open Source movement is threatening their market. If destroying Linux will lead to more M$ capital, so be it.
I think that, yes, MS will begin pushing their own applications for Linux. They know they can't destroy it - it's too big, too late. What they can do is edge out their competition in this fresh playing field. Ever hear of FUD? As long as a similar Microsoft product is in the works, some of the people (all of the time) will forego buying a competitor's product. After all, you never know when They are going to fall under the shadow of the Giant.
An anti-Linux team may not really translate to getting rid of Linux - it may mean USING it instead. There's a huge, glorious, new market there - can you really picture M$ not getting their fingers into this pie somehow? Get ready to see "NT Server for Linux" on the next round of shiny brochures!
It would be interesting to see the correspondence between the anti-Linux team and the team porting IE.
Wouldn't it be _interesting_ to see the source code of IE for Linux? Keep a sharp eye on your filesystem if you ever install it. Remember, M$ has done twisty little things before (see " Inside the Windows 95 Registration Wizard").

Linus doesn't explicitly state that we'll all have so much free time in the future that we'll be bored. And that's a good thing too because it's not true. If we look back at the labor saving devices invented in the last 200 years, it boggles the mind. Yet today we still mostly work for a living. Many people work longer hours than ever as companies shed as many employees as the possibly can. The fact is that labor saving devices don't exist in a vacuum. They are part of the fabric of our society. Computerization both changes society and is moulded by society.

I highly recommend the essay Speeding Towards Meaninglessness: Why Labor Saving Devices Don't Save Time. It's part of Steve Talbott's NETFUTURE site, which I've recommended on this forum before. Steve is a pseudo-luddite and an enviro-weenie who worships primitive cultures, but he and his contributors do have a lot to add to our understanding of the affect of technology on human existencs.

Python compilers: JPython compiles to Java byte code. Python2C translates to C code, but not a lot of people seem to be interested in the project. (Anyone going to review the new Learning Python book for /.?)

I find the Dylan posts not out-of-line, and they've been enough to interest me in learning more about Dylan; a Dylan book is sitting in my to-read queue, and I'll probably write a /. review of it.

I'd like to see more language and programming-related items, too, since the business-related items are kind of boring and are usually covered by LinuxToday or LWN anyway. CmdrTaco, how about a new section like the book reviews or "Ask Slashdot", just for technical programming items?

My head hurts from reading that.

If you want to read an excellent newsletter about the affect of technology on our world, our communities, and ourselves, I highly recommend Steve Talbott's NETFUTURE. It is available on the web at:

http://www.ora.com/peop le/staff/stevet/netfuture/index.html

NETFUTURE addresses topics such as computers in education, the notion that technology brings us all closer together, and the belief that technology helps us to live easier lives. (I'm sure Steve would have a field day with slashdot). IMO, Steve often goes off into environmentalists fantasy land. I get the impression he thinks we would all be better off if we tossed away our tools and went back to being hunter/gatherers. Plus he incorrectly views any experience related to the natural world as somehow more "authentic" than others. Nevertheless, I consider this an excellent resource. It makes you think about technology and computers in ways that you might not have done before. It is an excellent antidote to the Negroponte's of the world.

I think you'll find NETFUTURE far more stimulating than Islands in the Clickstream. (Though to be fair, I guess I should give the IC person more time to win me over. And yes, I know that I am not detailing my criticisms).