While I wait for the people that develop my OS to put on their big-boy pants and join the adult world, I have time to wonder how we got the reputation that we did.  I mean, let’s be honest with ourselves.  In spite of the fact that inarguably *nix is a better foundation upon which to build an OS, a very small percentage of the technical community takes the movement seriously.  I have my own suspicions but to be honest, I’m cynical, jaded and very often wrong.  I try to at least challenge my preconceptions and prejudices, so I won’t waste anyone’s time putting them to paper.  Instead of my canned rhetoric, I’m hoping for some enlightenment.

I’ve talked to a few software developers in the industry and to the last, they all dismiss linux, giving reasons ranging from being based on fact to some wild kool-aid laden FUD regurgitation.  I’ve been told that linux, being developed by people without any monetary interest puts anything they base it on at risk.  In their mind, when Billy, while sitting in his basement decides to stop development on Redhat, they will be left with no linux operating system to base their software off of.  To be honest, when I hear something like this, I never try to correct them.  I mean, when someone is this far from the fact of the matter, it’s kind of a daunting thought to try to set them straight.

I’ve also been told that linux seems too disorganized and unfocused.  This, I can’t really argue with.  The article I linked to is an example I think of when I think of this kind of argument.  How many other commercial endeavors spend their time discussing their entity’s sexism via a public forum?  The problem, as I see it is this:  The community is so large that everyone that considers themselves an ally of the FOSS movement has equal chance to damage the overall reputation, myself included.  If you are on the Redmond campus, you are able to impact the perception of Microsoft.  If you have a computer, you can impact the view of linux.

It seems like a big hurdle to overcome.  In spite of huge developments and improvements on the software we use, news of it always seems to be overshadowed by some kind of discussion that makes us all look like rejects.

I’m very aware that part of my problem lies with me.  I tend to focus on the absurd so it’s ever-present. That doesn’t explain the people I talk to, though.  Linux has come so far in the time that I’ve used it.  In spite of it’s remaining shortcomings, it doesn’t deserve the bad rap that it has.  So why does it persist?

It’s got to be an unfortunate combination of circumstances and events, I think.  Ignorance spurred by both previous experiences and the very real paid FUD by competitors would seem to be the main causes.  We have to take some of the blame as well though.  How can developers take a community seriously that can’t seem to stop talking about our desire to touch our community’s collective boob?

To be fair, it is a nice boob, though.