[Linux-aus] Goodbye AUUG, hello phoenix

[Jeff Waugh]

<quote who="Silvia Pfeiffer">

> you seem to always imply:
> 
> Linux == Linux Kernel
> 
> I think that is a trap.

On one hand, yes - but I'm pounding on that drum to make a point. On the
other hand, you have to consider the opinions of all the other people who
don't equate "Linux" with "Open Source", particularly their bent of "Open
Source". Some examples:

 * Obvious ones about OpenSolaris, BSD, etc. FLOSS operating systems that
   are not Linux.

 * Web developers using the awesome FLOSS platforms that we have - and not
   just LAMP. (An Australian Open Source organisation should represent this
   group too, but in terms of conferences, OSDC is certainly more relevant
   for this crowd than linux.conf.au.)

 * Cross-platform application developers, such as Mozilla.org. Firefox has
   the widest end user mindshare of *any* Open Source project (arguable, but
   I wouldn't argue much myself), and that mindshare was won predominantly
   on a proprietary platform - Windows.

These are just the obvious ones. "Linux" does not represent them, but if you
look around at the people on this list, and the topics covered at lca, you
*will* see all of them. By being a "Linux" organisation, we're limiting our
message substantially, and foolishly excluding people who have very similar
goals to ours - and note: "Linux" limits us to the *non-growth* areas of the
Open Source industry and community. Growth in Open Source these days is not
in "Linux" but in enterprise Open Source applications, user experience, the
web and embedded devices (for which the kernel is predominately Linux, yes).

This is not "be everything to everybody". It's about representing what we
*already are* and making that inclusiveness clear.

Just pounding the drum. (As the idiot who raised it, I figure I have to.)

- Jeff

-- 
linux.conf.au 2007: Sydney, Australia           http://lca2007.linux.org.au/
 
  "There's always a new bogeyman - every two months, there's a new axe to
                 add to the axis of evil." - Michael Moore