It might be ironic, but Linux' neglible price tag might be part of the barrier to penetration in the corporate world. I know most managers feel a sort of commitment to a product that they've spent serious dollars for. They find it hard to believe that a free operating system or open sourced tools can really meet the kinds of demands that they're trying to satisfy. "If it's so great, then why is it free?"
But that's only part of the problem. I think the biggest barrier Linux faces is that so very few IT managers really know what Linux is capable of. And it's not just the Windows world either. I'm continually amazed at the number of old-line UNIX sys admins I meet who don't really know that Linux can do an incredible job as an NFS file server, or an NIS server, or a mail server, or a print server. They're quick to place their trust in the latest update from Sun, or HP,or SGI, but skeptical to "bet the farm" on Linux. I know, I was one of them. I was skeptical that Linux could provide the reliablility and performance I'd come to expect from the Unix vendors. Now I wouldn't go back to Solaris or HP/UX or IRIX or Tru64 as enterprise servers for anything. I can tell you from experience that it's much easier to understand how to configure RedHat 7.2 than fathom all of the intricacies of Solaris.
But competing against Windows is a formidable challenge. To me, it's not Microsoft's technology that I despise, but the ever-widening stranglehold of Microsoft's marketing blitz. Windows XP is nothing more than a slickly conceived tool to get you to buy more of their products. And.NET is simply setting the stage to completely eliminate the barrier between marketing and technology. In Microsoft's vision, they are one and the same.
As for me, I worked in industry for 12 years as a programmer and sys admin before coming to a university. I love working for a university. It did three things for me: 1) Gave me a chance to re-learn my field. You can get pretty stale in the working world. And there's lots of new technology at a university. 2) Gave me the opportunity to add an advanced degree to my resume. (And learn some new stuff along the way!) 3) Let's me work everyday with young kids with incredible enthusiasm, no fear of technology, and lots of time to learn. I learn as much from them as they do from me. I have lots more experience than the young kids I work with, and some days that's a good thing, some days it's a curse. I think I have the wisdom to know what's important and what's not. I know how to stay calm no matter what happens. And I've learned how to get along people. But some days I find myself hiding behind what I know rather than running eagerly to the latest "new thing". In the technology field, I have learned that age isn't as important as much as a willingness to stay current. The older you get and the more commitments you have at home, the harder it is to make time to learn. But you have do it, or you'll be passed by.
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It might be ironic, but Linux' neglible price tag might be part of the barrier to penetration in the corporate world. I know most managers feel a sort of commitment to a product that they've spent serious dollars for. They find it hard to believe that a free operating system or open sourced tools can really meet the kinds of demands that they're trying to satisfy. "If it's so great, then why is it free?"
.NET is simply setting the stage to completely eliminate the barrier between marketing and technology. In Microsoft's vision, they are one and the same.
But that's only part of the problem. I think the biggest barrier Linux faces is that so very few IT managers really know what Linux is capable of. And it's not just the Windows world either. I'm continually amazed at the number of old-line UNIX sys admins I meet who don't really know that Linux can do an incredible job as an NFS file server, or an NIS server, or a mail server, or a print server. They're quick to place their trust in the latest update from Sun, or HP,or SGI, but skeptical to "bet the farm" on Linux. I know, I was one of them. I was skeptical that Linux could provide the reliablility and performance I'd come to expect from the Unix vendors. Now I wouldn't go back to Solaris or HP/UX or IRIX or Tru64 as enterprise servers for anything. I can tell you from experience that it's much easier to understand how to configure RedHat 7.2 than fathom all of the intricacies of Solaris.
But competing against Windows is a formidable challenge. To me, it's not Microsoft's technology that I despise, but the ever-widening stranglehold of Microsoft's marketing blitz. Windows XP is nothing more than a slickly conceived tool to get you to buy more of their products. And
As for me, I worked in industry for 12 years as a programmer and sys admin before coming to a university. I love working for a university. It did three things for me: 1) Gave me a chance to re-learn my field. You can get pretty stale in the working world. And there's lots of new technology at a university. 2) Gave me the opportunity to add an advanced degree to my resume. (And learn some new stuff along the way!) 3) Let's me work everyday with young kids with incredible enthusiasm, no fear of technology, and lots of time to learn. I learn as much from them as they do from me. I have lots more experience than the young kids I work with, and some days that's a good thing, some days it's a curse. I think I have the wisdom to know what's important and what's not. I know how to stay calm no matter what happens. And I've learned how to get along people. But some days I find myself hiding behind what I know rather than running eagerly to the latest "new thing". In the technology field, I have learned that age isn't as important as much as a willingness to stay current. The older you get and the more commitments you have at home, the harder it is to make time to learn. But you have do it, or you'll be passed by.