A subtle shift has happened. Once upon a time, when Richard Stallman's beard was about the same length, the focus of Linux and Open Source in business was on saving money. Those of you who have lived through the evolution of Linux as well as the Open Source and Free Software communities know what I'm talking about. One of the biggest selling points for Linux has been that it cost nothing - which more seasoned folk knew could not possibly be true. TANSTAAFL. But it was, at the least, free as in beer for most users around the world - and it remains so at least partly because of funded work on Linux. No, no, not the SCO people who are playing Marconi to Linux's Tesla - the real companies.
The shift started happening around late 2004 to late 2005 when I was appalled to read people I know writing about how many Linux Servers were sold. Linux doesn't work that way, really, so counting Linux servers is sort of like counting grains of sand at the beach. It just doesn't work. But there it was, servers that IBM and others sold with Linux on them were held up as trophies, something to be bronzed and polished with admiring eyes. I'm sure plenty of servers were sold with that other operating system that got switched over as well. But people like to count things, media needs numbers to report, and lo! Statistics were available.
And now, the talk is about the $49 billion dollar Linux ecosystem. So now, success isn't measured by the amount saved - but the amount spent. When did that happen?
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. Media shapes the idols, and those who need religion go find them.
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