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The Age of Aggressive Linux Advocacy Is Upon Us?
GonzoJohn writes "Jamie Harrison, founder of GBLUG in Glen Burnie, Maryland, has written an exclusive editorial for Linux Orbit about how he sees the state of Linux advocacy.
"Whether we want to admit it or not, Linux has entered a critical period in its development - a period that may, in fact, determine in fate forever.
Now that Linux is no longer a strange little niche Operating System, and has developed to the point where Microsoft actually feels threatened by its proliferation, the folks in Redmond are doing everything they can in the way of software design, legislation, regulation and control of the internet to snuff Linux out. The main reason that they have failed up to this point is that Linux has matured and grown in popularity, gaining public and private defenders in the consumer market and especially the corporate boardroom."
Read the editorial here" I don't think that I agree with all the points here - but it's an informative read if nothing else.
So: Would there be a way for non-coders to make a contribution to GNU software?
Yes. Documentation, testing, suggestions. Can you write some funky HTML? The project might need someone to look after the website. Can you draw icons, logos etc? The project might need some help with some eye-candy.
If you're not sure what you can do to help, ASK!
Ballmer faces reality
It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. --Albert Einstein
Not entirely true
By increasing market sharing, hardware producers will start producing device drivers for new products, one of the thing linux is definately lagging behind apple or MS. I would also expect an increase in commercial software for linux (Macromedia software is the main reason FOR ME not to use linux on my desktop)
You do have permission to use "Microsoft", as this is fair comment.
You can use the Microsoft tradename in your comments as you like.
Microsoft's right to the trademark only extends to the right to attach it to products being sold. It does not have the right to prevent the of their trademark in public discussions about their company or their products.
Besides, if you use the correct trademark "Microsoft", then the comments you make will be correctly associated with the correct trademark and not some fake moniker.
So, use "Microsoft". I try not to ever use MS, Micro$oft or any other false name.
It is the tradename that should carry the burden of the bad reputation causes by Microsoft's illegal acts. Not some other name.
NexuSys - Linux support by the best
Let me preface this by admitting that I've always been a computer contrarian. While all my friends in high school wanted Commodore 64s, I went from a VIC-20 to a C-128. While the rest of the world went PC, I had four different Amigas. Now I have Red Hat on my machine at home.
Maybe I'm just tired, but after reading the peice I came away thinking this guy must be a displaced Amiga user. It reads just like what an old Amgia fan (like me) would have been saying ten years ago about the Amiga.
I'm of the mind that most people just don't care. Their Wal-Mart-sourced HP Pavillion is good enough for them, and it came with Windows, or they believe it when some pimply-faced kid sneaking out with daddy's car explains why Dell is so much easier than facing a store salesman. It's kinda like beer: some people like German or Canadian(tm) beers, while for others Bud or even Milwaukee's Best is good enough. Some people appreciate the handling of a sports car, others are okay with a Pinto or a Matador.
I guess I'm just tired of casting my pearls before swine and getting no response. I can't even get my tech-savvy inlaws to try a dual boot. My wife, who doesn't do anything besides web and email won't try it. It doesn't matter that I can do just about anything that they can do with their Windows boxes. It doesn't matter that I have GUIs that are just as fancy and easy as theirs.
If people want what Linux, or any other contrarian OS has to offer, they'll find it.
Would there be a way for non-coders to make a contribution to GNU software?
GNU project has a page on How to Help the GNU Project.
If you want to improve a piece of free software, you can help enormously by reporting bugs, improving artwork, testing bleeding-edge versions.
The KDE project suggests "Go to apps.kde.com and Freshmeat.NET and do a search for the application you are thinking of writing or just browse the lists there. If you find in these lists something of interest to you, you might want to contact the author(s) of the code and offer your help directly."
If you can design websites, offer to become a project's webmaster. If you can write music, find a game to contribute music to.
In short, if you have any skill at all, you can probably find a project on freshmeat you can contribute your spare time to.
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more, Or close the wall up with our American dead!
This exists: http://www.lycoris.com/ .
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power multiplied.
I can tell you that for my purposes -- development (cvs, gcc, emacs), remote administration (ssh, X11), graphics (GIMP), audio/video (MP3 players, Quicktime [with Dreamweavers Crossover], MPEG) -- it works just fine. It supports all my hardware -- a TV card, Wacom Intuos tablet, Turtle Beach soundcard, USB Canon G1 digital camera, USB IBM webcam, Yamaha CD burner, Matrox G200 video -- with no problems.
In addition, it never crashes, handles NFS and NIS, is not vulnerable to the Bug Of The Day, and handles my web sites and mailing lists.
Oh, and it's free.
Unlimited growth == Cancer.