Linuxtopia.com: Be an advocate, not a zealot | Linux Today

Linuxtopia.com: Be an advocate, not a zealot

Written By
D
Dave
Oct 5, 1999

[ Thanks to Dave
Heaney
for this link. ]

“What is the difference between an advocate and a zealot? Both
like, and often prefer to use, Linux. Both think that other people
could benefit from using Linux. Both look for opportunities to show
other people how they can benefit from using Linux. They seem
similar, but there is one major difference. This difference is the
methodology used to promote Linux…”

“Advocacy is beneficial to the Linux community because it
provides the primary means of advertisement. People who man Linux
displays at trade shows or on college campuses get the word out
about how Linux can be used. Those who write documentation, or
report bugs make the development of free software much faster. The
person who makes a presentation about Linux to a software
development firm helps Linux gain commercial credibility…”

The line between Linux advocacy and zealotry can be very
easily, and often understandibly, crossed. Many Linux advocates
quickly turn themselves into zealots.
This can often happen as
a result of frustration with commercial software that seems to be
bug-ridden, or simply because the person got too far into the Linux
bandwagon that seems to be sweeping the world.”

Complete
Story

D

Dave

Linux Today Logo

LinuxToday is a trusted, contributor-driven news resource supporting all types of Linux users. Our thriving international community engages with us through social media and frequent content contributions aimed at solving problems ranging from personal computing to enterprise-level IT operations. LinuxToday serves as a home for a community that struggles to find comparable information elsewhere on the web.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.