Linux and the fight for technological literacy

The thing about suits is that they are suffocating. Whether you are wearing one or in close proximity to a number of them, they tend to "cut off the air supply." The smell of money was so strong at the most recent LinuxWorld Conference & Expo that the stench of suits was still with me nearly a week later. It seemed like all the attendees at the show, from Michael Dell to the booth barkers, were inviting me to look at, try, or buy their wares -- or simply to sign up to be spammed with the same offers later. Were they dressed in suits? Well, strictly speaking, no. For the most part, they were in stealth suits: expensive polos, pressed slacks, and polished shoes.

Last Thursday, I could still feel suit crawling up over my shoulders like an evil monkey. I needed a break. Money is important, and I like filthy lucre as much as the next person. But there is more to life and Linux than IPOs, fancy cars with vanity plates, and online trading. I needed a fix. I needed raw, unabashed, unapologetic, geek culture. I needed an Austin LUG meeting.

So I made my way to the offices of Emperor Systems, gracious host of our weekly gathering of geeks. One table was covered with swag brought back from the show, another with snacks and drinks. Stu Green was doing his level best to steer the meeting into some form of order. There was laughter and joking. Stu threatened to award an AOL CD to anyone who misbehaved by mentioning Microsoft or AOL. When one of the group's most senior members replied that he had seen something about a Linux version of the AOL client online, Stu walked over to him and handed him the CD. "You must leave the island immediately," I solemnly intoned. The room laughed loudly. I was home. I could feel the dark side releasing its grip on my soul.

Home at last

We're talking dweebs, mister. And dweebettes. They weren't dressed in suits or polos; most were in t-shirts and jeans, or t-shirts and shorts. Business casual was most definitely not the rule. If there was a rule, it was "come as you are" comfortable. There were newbies and gurus, a typical mix. Some were busy writing their own distributions with a security/firewall focus; some were still looking to see "how can I make a million out of this thing." Most were simply interested in finding the latest cool stuff, and figuring out where they could get it. For others it was, "How can I share this cool stuff with others?" That last group is where Ms. F. Gress (aka Ms. G), the Capitol Area Training Foundation (CATF), the Community Technology and Training Center (CTTC), and Dr. Phil Carinhas fit in.

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