“From euphoria at the San Jose LinuxWorld Conference & Expo,
to real business in New York, to the future in San Francisco,
follow the trends shaping the Linux world from show to show.”
“The August 2000 LinuxWorld event was crazy. The show had
outgrown the San Jose Convention Center, and some exhibitors were
relegated to the halls. The floor was loud, with multiple magicians
and presentations. You couldn’t walk past three booths without
somebody trying to get your attention or give you some swag. Many
vendors hired women to wear costumes specifically designed to
please the male attendees. The stock market had not yet reared up
and quashed the IPO frenzy it started, and people still felt alive
with Linux euphoria.”
“The feelings of euphoria disappeared in the third and fourth
quarters of 2000. Corel, which was once considered by many to be
one the larger forces in the commercial Linux arena, laid off at
least 320 employees. Profit warnings from companies like VA Linux
abounded, and stocks that once rode in the utopian clouds sank to
$8 per share.”