LWCE Wrapup

Okay, let's close out the Linuxworld Expo news as best we can. CNet has an article on the march on City Hall (there's also an AP article) to promote open source in government (some people even want to get Linux certified). CNN loves Linux. Bruce Perens, as we mentioned last night, is bailing out of Hewlett-Packard. And Newsforge has several stories from the Linuxworld floor: 1, 2, 3, 4. And finally, CmdrTaco and Chris Dibona (Gamara here on Slashdot) were on TechTV yesterday (and repeats today). Viewer discretion advised.

Comments

What were they showing at the Microsoft Booth?

[burgburgburg]

I've yet to hear word on the actual experience of Microsoft in the belly of the beast? What sort of stuff did they have there? Did anyone approach them, or were they shunned? Did they "respectfully" keep a distance from people so as to not be exposed to the open-source cancer? Were they brutally GPL'd? Wha happen?

Re:What were they showing at the Microsoft Booth?

[Cirrocco]

They were showing (primarily) Services for Unix 3.01. Not a big deal, all legitimate. The booth was relatively small (maybe 15-20 feet across and only 10 feet deep) The booth was busy and nobody egged the presenters or forcibly tattooed Tux on their foreheads, as much as we all may have enjoyed that.

Re:CNN Loves Linux

[Anonymous Coward]

Who cares?

As long as there is no FrameMaker for Linux, I would never ever consider installing or even recommending it for serious work.

Where are there pictures?

[FurryFeet]

Anybody knows where can I find pictures of this expo? There's nothing on the site. I'm particularly curious to see Microsoft's booth...

Re:Photos of M$ booth...

[Skyshadow]

My friend actually talked to some of them while they were showing off some term emulator or some BS like that - he asked them if they knew what a linux system call was, and some basic, basic questions about the linux kernel... blank stares. Nothing. Nada. Not that we were surprised.

(sighs, rubs head)

And we wonder how the Linux community gets the reputation of being a bunch of arrogant, unapproachible assholes.

This is about as clever as the guy I knew in college who would go to Radio Shack and harrass the poor sobs working there for minimum wage about various electronic parts. He'd come out with a superior-looking smirk on his face, complaining that he had questions and *they* didn't have answers, as if the Radio Shack register monkeys should all have graduate degrees in EE.

I share the general feeling of unease at Microsoft's new attitude towards Linux (worry about a predator most when it's smiling at you), but harrassing the poor saps at their booth is akin to bothering your local Blockbuster clerk because you hate the MPAA.

Besides that, you shouldn't be so quick to trivialize MS. Remember, they can bring unimaginable resources to bear in a very short time, and just because they *haven't yet* come up with a way to crush, poison or outmode OSS doesn't mean that they *won't*.

But what about my lunch tab?

[Spencerian]

I don't want to dampen the Linux love fest at all, but I want to know if any attendees picked up a Mac OS X user's lunch tab while they were there.

Lunch in SF can be pretty expensive, and Mac users have already given their shirt to buy a Macintosh, so... :)

Thank you Bruce

[InodoroPereyra]

I thought I should say this loud. Bruce Perens is becoming one of the public persons I respect the most. He is resigning from a comfortable position at HP in order to be able to be more active in politics, and he wants to be politically active in order to defend the public interest, and ideals like freedom.

Most people have unfortunately ethics a posteriori. They (we) do whatever benefits them (us), and then find an ethical justification for whatever we do or we are. He is going the other around.

Bruce, let me just say thank you. People like you make this world a little nicer :-)