“Was it a not-so-subtle dig or just honest helpfulness that
the media registration booth was handing out free copies of “Linux
for Dummies” to each journalist requesting a badge? … Come
to find out that they were giving the Linux for Dummies books to
everyone. A life-size, living Dummies guy with a huge triangular
head was walking around the show floor, shaking hands and flirting
with women. I asked the Dummies guy if he was like, the king of the
dummies, or if he was supposed to be really smart and full of
answers. He had no comment.”
“A couple of aisles over, I found the source of the Chuckie
horns. Two nice-looking women, dressed in red leotards and sporting
red, pointy tails, were passing out the horns with the blinking
lights to a throng of eager young men. … The “Daemon girls,” as
they are known, pose for pictures with show visitors and hand out
not only the popular headbands, but the long, pointy tails as well.
As I walked away from the Daemon girls, a troop of guys with the
Chuckie horns approached. “Did you pose for a picture with one of
the models?” I asked, and was answered with a chorus of yesses.
“One of them promised to give me some tail,” said a young man.
“That’s why I’m coming back.”
“IBM had several inflatable Tux chairs in its booth which looked
comfortable enough, but who wants to sit in a penguin’s lap,
especially when you know that silly Tux grin is right behind your
head, probably laughing at your bad breath or struggling under your
weight? Nevertheless, young slim hackers sprawled on the chairs,
staring at their laptop screens.”