Changing Face of Linux?

standards writes "Reuters is reporting that pony-tailed Linux Users have been seen mingling with executives in short-sleeved golf shirts. The article suggests that real technology guys don't wear shorts, T-shirts or baseball caps." the article is mostly about the business focus of Linux these days, although I think the writer is a couple years late since I think this was really the case about 4 LinuxWorld's ago ;)

Comments

Re:bad news for Linux?

[garcia]

I really don't think the "appel of Linux" has anything to do w/alternative PHYSICAL appearances.

The draw of Linux is speed, stability, cost.

"Hippy hackers" aren't necessary going to come w/the product. Those that have already been working for a company that is going to begin using it are going to either a) already be familiar with it or b) will become familiar with it.

"Linux-geeks" are growing-up just the same as the actual OS itself. That's why we are seeing more and more in the real-world.

Just my worthless .02

You still need the geeks

[gosand]

No matter how much the guys in the golf shirts and suits pretend to know about linux, you will always need the true geek to get the most out of it. Who cares if the people on the "front lines" are business people. I think that linux has it's heart in the right place, and no amount of posing and shlubbing can change that. If it does, on the corporate level, there will always be those in the trenches who can just have fun with it and hack it. I don't look at it as a change, just an evolution. If you want to attract more people, you are going to get all kinds of people. Even marketing drones. It comes with the territory. I think there is enough room in the linux pool for everyone. The key is, the technology is the base of it all, so without the tech people, it won't exist.

Being a geek used to be bad (80s) then trendy (90s) and now it is seen as necessary.

Dress code mayhaps?

[sielwolf]

Well in the corp I work for, a dress code is mandatory. Sure, it's business casual but that does imply collered shirts and pressed slacks.

Sure, some of those dudes have the classic pony-tail and guru beard, but the clothing doesn't make the man. Hawaiian shirt or not, the guy in the polo and dockers is just as big of a loser as the rest of us.

Wait a minute...

Re:Same errors as always. (slightly off topic)

[grahammm]

Or the admin who purchases a single boxed set and (legally) installs it on multiple computers.

This is another factor which the magazines/PR people do not take into account.

Dress codes

[pvera]

What is so bad about slacks and polo shirts? I like jeans like everybody else, but after 10-12 hours in front of a keyboard the jeans stretch and look like crap. At least dockers look the same way by the time you are out of the office.

Plus let's be realistic. Until you own the business, somebody else is going to set the rules. It is obvious that if you are going to spend the day laying down ethernet cables and shifting racks and PCs it is completely retarded to force you to wear slacks, but if you know that for the whole day you are going to be playing meetings jockey or sitting at your desk answering emails and phone calls, then the slacks don't hurt.

At my previous job we got rid of the dress code and let managers set it to whatever. Within operations we let the production guys wear shorts, since they were spending the whole day lugging around video equipment. Everybody else was free to wear whatever they pleased as long as:

1. It was clean.
2. It was not torn, ragged, etc.
3. If it had any text printed it was a neutral messsage ("F*ck Microsoft" was not tolerated, but "All Your Base are Belong to US" was ok, etc.)
4. You understood that with reasonable advance notice you will be required to dress up to business casual or full business attire (client visits, business trips, etc.).

When I started interviewing for my new job I noticed that new employers did not really care about wearing a suit for the interview. They told me it was too hot to make me wear a suit plus they trusted me as a professional to know when and how to dress up. My current dress code: geek casual (dockers and golf shirts). The owner could care less as long as you don't walk into the office in flip flops and a mesh top, but he cares about our investors and clients walking into the office and see us looking like total slobs.

And yeah, I play golf too.