Batch of LinuxWorld Stories

Later today, Slashdot will be giving out its awards for the LinuxWorld Expo- brace yourself. To help tide you over, we have several stories about the show. The first is from FWMiller who sent us a Salon Article about the event. TheMystic sent us a yahoo headline page from the show. and Mtn_Dewd sent us a CNN Story and a wired story.

Stallman marginalized?

[Groucho]

Sad to see that they stuck RMS in a corner during this event. But what are they to do with him? It's like your crazy and beloved uncle.... he fought in the war, and you're proud of that, but he keeps pissing on the rug when company comes.

If he really delivers a keynote at the next LinuxWorld I bet they'll be ready with the tranquilizer darts and nets. Or they'll put him on at 3 a.m.

Poor Richard... too scary for the suits, too valuable to snub entirely...

On another note, I watched the RA of Linus's keynote. I like the fact that he says he ISN'T a visionary! He just wants to hack code, drink beer, take care of his daughters and let world domination take its natural course. :-)

Groucho

No disability

[sterwill]

Richard can walk, and he often does. Having a booth in the corner is no impediment to his larger goals, I would think.

Linux Conferences in Europe

[GC]

When's the next "LinuxWorld"ish conference? Is there one somewhere in Europe?

I wouldn't mind attending, but the US is so far away.

Stallman marginalized?

[Jeff DeMaagd]

Well, for a cause to be a good one, it must become greater than the person or group that started the cause. If he is still the forefront of free software, then either he is too powerful or the cause is weak.

I don't believe that he should be ignored, but don't let him control the whole thing. They way he dissed Mr O'Reilly pissed me off though. He was acting a little counter to his own philosophy. If you can't sell books (or services) on free software, then you put a death hold on ever making money on GPL stuff.

sexpot?

[MushMouth]

read her column www.examiner.com/skink [examiner.com]

Suits in Hacker Clothing

[gavinhall]

Posted by Just Another Perl Hacker from:

This comment from the CNN article really bothers me...

"In a few years there are going to be people who say Linux has lost its roots, gone commercial, sold out," said Chaim Krause, a computer programmer who uses the software. "But basically right now we're giving the stuff away and

that's got to change."

This sure sounds like some guy that just wants to make a fast buck!!

Rob, you need a media rep

[Kyt]

All the quotes and comments from/about the Slashdot booth paint Rob & co. in a "smartass punks" kind of light. This quote, for instance: "Malda was annoyed by the constant attention of the journalists, complaining that he couldn't even find time to check email because of the persistent questions. " make it appear that you've got better things to do than talk to these people. (which you do, likely, but don't tell them that!)

Too bad they misinterpreted Nate, too... he "works for" Rob?

In any case, you guys have to be nicer to these media types... if you're gonna get press, make sure it's *good* press. Isn't Hemos supposed to be the schmooze-meister?

Stuff wired, Saloon rock.

[ashelton]

It is interesting how much deeper the saloon article is, especially compared to the short and
shallow one on wired. From memory most of the interesting analysis has come from saloon. I guess
I've made my selection official, I deleted my wired bookmark and added saloon.

And to think at one point wired was where the exploration occurred.

sexpot?

[MushMouth]

err, then again I gennerally come of as one who is permenently burnt, which is about as far from the facts as possible, unfortunately.

sexpot?

[MushMouth]

The Net Skink is called a Sexpot (Search for Skink at www.sfgate.com). Every time I have seen Rebecca Eisenberg I have to be reminded that she went to Stanford and Harvard(or Yale) law school, and she decided that practicing law was not spiritually fulfilling, because she often comes of a completely spoiled Long Island daddies girl that drinks too much at parties.

Stallman marginalized?

[JoeBuck]

You don't understand Stallman's points. RMS is one of the most consistent people I know; he never acts counter to his own philosophy. He makes his living selling services connected to free software (as a consultant), and supports others in doing the same. He does not object to the sale of books, and the sale of services is key to his philosophy as the only ethical way for programmers to make a living.

His point is that free software needs free documentation; otherwise when someone improves the program, it's illegal for them to update the book to match the changes to the program.

Now, while I respect RMS, I still own some O'Reilly books (and work on proprietary software, as well as free software).

Just the same, O'Reilly seems to be trying to take over the free software movement and to exclude anyone who thinks like RMS: just write them out of history. Did you notice the list of people invited to O'Reilly's next "summit" on "collaborative software?" All the people who talk about freedom have been banned. No RMS, no Bruce Perens, no one from Debian. Why should O'Reilly be in charge of these kinds of events and select who attends?

Only a few clueful journalists out there

[JoeBuck]

Rob does have better things to do than talk to those people. Most of the trade press is clue-impaired. There are only a few journalists I can think of who consistently "get it": Andrew Leonard of Salon Magazine's "21st" section [salonmagazine.com] is probably the best out there, and Dan Gillmor [sjmercury.com] of the San Jose Mercury News has a clue.

Notice that what these guys have in common is that commercial software companies aren't paying their bills: they write for more general-interest publications. This means they get to stay honest. Folks who write for Ziff-Davis or IDG publications are under great pressure to be whores.

first?

[kfort]

I hope

You mean appearance and not actual reality right?

[MushMouth]

correct, these were social situations where people were drinking, laughing and talking loud. It is possible that I didn't get over the leather pants, which of course says a whole lot more about me than it does about her.