"This show looked and felt like other computer trade
shows. And it was no surprise, because most companies seemed to be
using the same equipment and staff that they use at other trade
shows.
It all seemed so bland and traditional.
So has the fire left the community? By no means. It just means
that the market surrounding the software has come of age.
Developers still meet on the Internet as they always have and at
technical conferences such as this year's annual Linux Showcase
(the successor to the Atlanta Linux Showcase) and the Freenix track
at USENIX (the Advanced Computing Systems Association)."