Open Letter to CNet (editorial)

James Carter wrote in with an open letter to Dan Shafer about his investigation of Linux. It's a nice feel-good piece on Linux and how bright its future is. It's also pretty important for Journalist types to take note of it since Linux is growing in the media at an amazing clip. Follow the link below to read it.

The following was written by slashdot reader James Carter

Dan,

These days, something special is happening. A sea-change is poised to occur. It's 20 years and untold hours of labor and joy by many heroes who desire not power and riches, but a community where sharing and helping are the norm, and people's software freedom is not restricted and they are held hostage. That there will be at least one place to turn where hoarding of information is not necessary. We already have plenty of that now. A place where sharing works. Everyone wins.

Others will follow in time (1 yr, 2 yrs? 6 mo? 4 yrs?). People will be jumping on the linux bandwagon, which will be welcomed. I read your brief summary of your forthcoming living with linux experiment on slashdot.org. I want to congratulate you on being ahead of the curve.

Though not a pioneer, I've seen since the end of '93 something that has grown to millions mostly by word of mouth. Now I see the press starting to notice and write about it more and more, and I am terribly excited by that impact, even though some covering it will attack it. Yes it's linux, but also the Open Source software revolution.

You will be one of the first in the relative mainstream tech press to unsuperficially testdrive their OS for a while and see just what they are up to. To see linux is on the verge of emerging from the peasants to take down King Louis/Bill XVI, "Let them eat GPFs and blue screens of death". Yes, it doesn't have the well-adorned, polished marble fascade of the rich tax collecting tyrant, but at it's core, it works, is efficient, is solid, and won't ignore your pleas for help.

Don't be surprised if your neighbor comes to your aid, because it is an OS by the people, of the people, and for the people - not the King and his cronies. The King pushes the people to the point of rebellion, but backs off just enough to actually prevent it. He is uncaring, but not stupid. Well, so sure of his stranglehold, he notices little that the people HAVE become discontent, rebellion HAS started, you are one of the few to notice enough to document it. Down the road, the people will be glad you did.

Like any good journalist, you will surely be critical of where it isn't so polished, but remember it's just now breaking out. Only recently has a focus been on working on making it more user friendly (which is critical). Most past effort has been on putting it on many many different platforms, adding functionality, and making it rock solid stable.

Wish the king cared about the people enough to do that - yes you have paid tribute, but don't want crashes?, pay tribute again and upgrade. Anyone who has lost work due to a lockup etc. should compare that loss cost vs. less whistles. (whistles are not too tough to add once the foundation is great!)

Great men, great deeds. Stallman, a grand vision, tireless effort, and solid foundation to make it possible. Torvalds, an amazing frame on this foundation inviting all to join. Scores of kernel hackers adding critical walls, porting to other plots. Hundreds of programmers, who expanded the circle of sharing to include their fruits with others. Raymond, sounding the trumpet from village to village. and thousands of unheralded acts every week of helping another person, not for cash, but because you were in their shoes once too and want them to succeed.

I suspect you will get some extra help if you are recognized, but you could easily have 10,000 non-journalists vouch for being helped by someone they didn't know.

Am I merely sucking up to you/kissing butt? Nah, but I am giving you a proud *whapp* on the can like an enthusiastic coach. Proud you are ahead of the crowd. Happy to see someone investigate whether microsoft just might not be the only choice one must shove down their throat. We can embrace sharing and all win.

Once the crowd changes direction, it's not leadership to run to the front. Leadership is knowing you know a promising path ahead, and others seeing the truth after you have gone there and follow you.

As a journalist, you are one of the first... you are going there... I'm excited when the crowd has someone with a voice show them a promising alternative path... A path I'm so proud of. One centered around freedom and sharing.

Sure, you will show that the peasants have sometimes simple clothes, plain shoes, and some dirt under their nails. But they help one another and give to each other, not steal and drive others from the market, ignore the common man's pleas, and selectively follow the law.

They soon need not live under the King's tyranny anymore. Both simple and great men all are lending a hand to make this happen. So when someone wishes to walk to the unpolished side of the palace wall and document what is happening warts and all, am I proud? You bet! *whapp!*

I hear the horses in the distance. I hope you can. Soon everyone will... especially the king.

James Carter