Linux Adoption Accelerating

Publishers tell me that demand for Linux books has increased 50% over last year - a bright spot in an otherwise troubled industry. Print publications have seen an increase as have web site hits and advertising dollars.

If you haven't been over to DesktopLinux.com or LinuxDevices.com lately, you probably haven't seen the ZDNet logo. That means acquisition. The Linux world rocks right now and buying a Desktop Linux or Linux Devices web site makes a lot of sense.

I'm also seeing a demand in conference requests and speaking engagements. I'm seeing full audiences and meeting people who wouldn't have been around last year. I also have requests for articles from main stream publications that had not run a Linux article ever.

What does it mean?

Obviously, Linux adoption has accelerated or Monopoly Systems in Redmond would not have its dogs running around without a leash. When the disinformation junkies start to light up the air waves, trouble's happenin'. As the folks down here say, where there's smoke, there's fire.

I used to get upset about Monopoly Systems' tactics. Plenty of people do get upset. A couple of weeks ago, I was collaborating with one of my friends and showing him some archives of articles that were published during the anti-trust trial. We'd find a page in an archive talking about Redmond and the web page would suddenly disappear. My collaborator was a-fuming.

Not me, I didn't get upset. I'd already seen those boys at work. They use search engines to control information on the Internet and embed little nano-software. They just want to keep the Web clean. What's wrong with that?

You see, Monopoly Systems and those that control it and work with it will wake up one day and have to face the music. Time catches up with folks. The older one gets the faster time flies. Meanwhile, Linux adoption has gone crazy and the growth curve is exponential. That's what happens when the rest of the world starts adopting technology. Good technology, free technology.