“Have you ever gone to a conference and suddenly discovered you
were having fun? Or, that you actually enjoyed speaking with your
fellow conference goers and even some of the people on the show
floor? Maybe you discovered people who were passionate about what
they were doing and were actually having fun? A dream you say? Not
if you attended the Atlanta Linux Showcase, Oct. 12-16, 1999.”
“Don’t get me wrong. There was some heavy duty business going on
– press releases, recruiting, partnerships being formed, new code
being developed, and new technologies that went screaming past
everything else. The fact is, big business is finally paying
attention to Linux and money is starting to get thrown around.”
“This conference was a little different than your
neighborhood Comdex, though. It was based on the premise that those
who were interested in Linux and the OpenSource community could get
together, learn from each other, and improve existing
technology. According to their own press release, “The Atlanta
Linux Showcase is the community’s premier technical and community
show organized and run by a group of computer professionals wishing
to help promote Linux. ALS was founded in 1997 and is run entirely
by volunteers. Last years show was the largest Linux event in 1998
drawing its attendees from 23 countries. The Atlanta Linux
Showcase, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation. For more
information visit www.linuxshowcase.org.” Touted by event
coordinators as an event based on technology instead of marketing
and sales, it largely accomplished its goal.”