[Liverpool] primary function of a LUG

[Simon Johnson]

2009/2/20 ray holroyd <ray.holroyd at homecall.co.uk>

> I find the analogy between Linux and Christianity rather profound.
> My allusion to the "cart before the horse" was on a more basic level, in
> that, in order for it to be launched free software needs a platform, and
> Linux is that platform.

The fact that Linux is the most widely used kernel by the majority of
advocates of free software is more a historical accident than anything else.
If HERD hadn't have been so chronically late, or if Tanenbaum's microkernel
was better licensed and faster, or if BSD hadn't been embroiled in legal
disputes then we could well have all been running something entirely
different today. Linux is the embodyment of the phrase:

"Perfect is the enemey of good enough."

Linus produced something that worked well enough, early enough, to
boot-strap a successful free software kernel effort.
There's an important point to be raised here. If Linux succeeded in
destroying Window and OS X and Linux based operating systems had a market
share of 98%, that would be just as bad a thing for the industry as the
current Microsoft monopoly.
The four freedoms of the Free Software Movement are really all about
preserving and nurturing competition, which in turn means that developers
and users alike can choose the best software for them. I believe that this
competition makes software better. This is one of the reasons that free
software projects are higher quality than their closed source counterparts.
I would like to see a world where OS X and Windows still exist but with
strong competition from Linux, BSD and even ReactOS.

>
> In fact my point in asking the original question "What is the primary
> function of a LUG" was to ascertain whether members thought that the
> primary function was to bring Linux to the masses, or as a focal point
> for compu-geeks to air their views.


I doubt very much that LUGs by themselves are capable of launching Linux as
a household name. But they're certainly a part of that movement.
I think widening the focus to "cool stuff with computers" makes LUGs more
engaging and attracts a wider audience. If that wider audience causes an
increase in free software adoption, than that's a nice side-effect.
Simon
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