“You might assume the awe-struck young man asking for
“maddog’s” autograph is a pro-wrestling fan until you remember this
is a trade show for the Linux computer operating system, not a
knock-’em-sock’-em event. But in this arena “maddog” is a prime
promoter of open-source technology. And he is indeed a
superstar. “I continue to be embarrassed about it,” said Jon Hall,
who heads the Linux International trade association and was
nicknamed “maddog” — without a capital M — by students years ago
for his heated debates. “I’m just somebody who happened to have
been in a place at a particular time and I recognised the value of
Linux.” Hall, who gave a keynote speech at the Linux Expo 2000 in
Montreal this week, said he has autographed compact discs, laptop
computers and even clothing for his admirers. Technology trade
shows attract a different breed and Linux shows, in particular, are
renowned for their ardor. Linux is a “kernel” of computer code used
for operating systems. It is constantly being modified by
developers around the world who share any improvements they make.
It can be downloaded free.”
“Linux supporters say the system has the potential to overhaul
the computer industry, overthrow Microsoft Corp.’s Windows monopoly
and unearth the Albert Einstein of computer science….”
“Hall, whose long white beard flows down the front of his Linux
sweatshirt, has travelled from Fiji to Turkey for Linux
International to talk about the technology’s promise. He shows no
sign of tiring from this tour, which takes up close to 220 days of
the year, and instead cites inspiring tales of Linux in use. For
example: Cuba connected doctors with medical manuals on a network
of cheap PCs that used the Linux operating system. More
impressively, the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil used Linux to
string together a super-computer that cut the time for mammogram
analysis from 20 hours to 10 minutes, he said….”