Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Open Source Community and GNU/Linux essay ... 0wn3d

“Liberation from the past. Freedom from outdated ideas.” The known world is concurrently run by digital networks of inter-operating machines constantly and consistently transmitting data in order to keep our hectic lives in functioning order. One company, Penguin Computing, has taken this truth to heart and appealed to the customers logical, ethical, and emotional aspects of the decision making thought process through offering leading edge GNU/Linux solutions.
In our world, computers run our lives. Within this world there are big players in the Corporate aspect of the computer driven world: Microsoft, IBM, HP, Dell, Apple, Intel, AMD, and many others. Yet, in rebuttal to the large corporate network, an Open Source Community formed, comprised of computer scientists, software engineers, and hackers forged together to bring the leading in Information Technology to the world with an open mind and open standards. The logical attraction to this concept is simply the fact that when a large community of abstract brilliant thinkers comes together, they produce results. Because there is no corporation pressuring dead lines, the results produced are “done right” with stability, security, and performance in mind. Within this association the GNU/Linux operating system spawned and has, in the past 10 years, proven its worth within Enterprise Information Technology solutions and is now making its strategic move to the home desktop. Simply put, Linux is on the rise for greatness and Penguin Computing is not only helping move it along, but preparing for what tomorrows innovations shall bring. The performance and stability offered by the Linux kernel is simply unparalleled, thus making it the perfect base for such a advanced technological movement that will bring us into the next phase of this hectic life and even those phases in the future to come. The advertisement for moving to the technological world that is GNU/Linux, or more commonly known as just “Linux,” is appealing to the logical aspect of the human brain in the form of a decree. Stating that One will no longer be trapped by the old corporate owned Operating Systems, but will be freed and liberated by the Open Source Community to have choice and experience real world computing in an all new manner.
During the course of each individual's life, they develop their own set of ethics. In the life of an IT Professional, they develop a concept about the freedom of ones mind: the true spirit of a hacker. This ethical trademark will very quickly pave the path to a Linux solution and, as stated within the page found in the magazine and on their website, Penguin Computing is here to cater to those needing guidance in areas from corporate server and data center side all the way to the home desktop. This open minded apprehension brings on the ethical commitment to the community that features such technologies and elucidations. Drawing attention to the unfortunate fact that monopolistic companies like Microsoft offer lesser server systems as multiple thousand dollar “top of the line” computers while those informed and educated in the field are drawn to, not only the concept of but, the actuality of what Open Source offers and how much more advanced of a manner in which it is offered. Not to mention the cost efficiency due to the fact that Open Source Software is freely distributable and redistributable by law under the GNU GPL (General Public License) and all that requires money is support and administration; something already required to run even those Corporate licensed and developed Operating Systems.
Every person not only has their mental capacity to render decisions based on logical and ethical stand points, but many decisions are influenced by One's emotions about a certain topic. In the world of Open Source, many of its users, supporters, and developers are very passionate about being true to the ideals that Open Source portrays within its community. Penguin Computing grasps and understands these concepts and advertises in favor of these feelings of loyalty by recognizing the technological movement in a political rendition. Showing the Penguin, the GNU/Linux mascot, standing along side the founders of the single most powerful nation in the world puts forth the emotional bridge between the foundation of this country and the loyalty that goes along with the next generation of computing foundation with Linux and the loyalty that accompanies it. This concept is understood put forth in a logical sense to appeal to the emotional aspect of decision making and then transported to possibility of a purchase of a computer system is created due to the knowledge that emotion is generally one of the strongest tools to sway a choice in the human thought process.
We are now liberated from the past, and have achieved freedom from outdated ideas. With the help of Penguin Computing, the Open Source community and the GNU/Linux Operating System appealing to the most influential sections of the persuasive method as declared by Aristotle: logic, ethics, and emotion.