[ Thanks to Mike
Cannon-Brookes for this link. ]
“…last week’s Linux Open Source Expo held at Darling Harbour
in Sydney… ran alongside an associated two-day conference… on
the edge of the bigger IT2000 expo. …occupied around 15 to 20% of
the total floor space. However, it took up considerably more mind
space. This was especially apparent from the expo media room –
located on a balcony directly overlooking the Linux space.”
“At one point early on Wednesday morning, the Linux suburb was
packed while, metaphorically at least, the remaining show had
enough room to accommodate migrating herds of wildebeest. Even late
Friday afternoon, typically a winding down period, saw crowds
around the Linux stands.”
“So, what’s my take on this? Basically I have to say I’ve
been here before. Twenty years ago I worked on a microcomputer
magazine – that’s pre-PC small computers. At the time many
people said micros would never be accepted by the mainstream – but
the grass roots thought otherwise. Some of us knew small
computers would change the world. The Linux expo had the same
buzz as the early microcomputing shows – and the same air of
excited anticipation.”