My last blog told the story of how I was up for what I considered a really excellent volunteer job with Ubuntu. Not exciting to a lot of folks, but something I was very interested in. What you have to remember is that Ubuntu is part of Canonical LTD. Canonical is the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu, and is a global organization headquartered in Europe, and committed to the development, distribution and support of open source software products and communities. Ubuntu is made up completely of volunteers from all over the world. This group of dedicated individuals is committed to the advocacy and development of Ubuntu and Open Source.
Why would anyone want to use Ubuntu or Open Source to power their computer? Especially since the majority of people use another operating system! Why would anyone bother?! The answer to that is simplicity itself. Because it’s BETTER! What makes it better? Many, many things. It’s free, it is in constant development with new releases every 6 months, a support community that goes beyond discription, you don’t have to upgrade your hardware every time a new version is released, it is virus free(yes, that’s right, virus free), updates are available on a daily basis, new applications are brought out on almost a daily basis, and it’s not based on trying to get money out of your pocket. These are just a few of the many reasons to consider switching to Ubuntu.
Let me ask you a question, wouldn’t you like to have control over your operating system and the applications it uses? And when I say control, I mean control. There are millions of Ubuntu users in the world today, and everyone of them has a system that is set up to do exactly what they want it to do. Not what someone else decides is best for them, or deems is necessary to further line their already bulging pockets. Did you know for example that the majority of servers in use today are run by Open Source? I’m not talking about the people who run a home server for their own use, I talking major companies. Ever heard of Google? Well, Google uses open source to run the very servers that you connect to everyday to search for information.
Granted, a lot of you have probably never even heard of Linux, Open Source, Ubuntu, or any of the other alternative operating systems out there. I know that I hadn’t until about 2 years ago when I decided there had to be a better way and started my search for alternative. That search eventually led me to Ubuntu, and I couldn’t be happier that it did. Is Linux, Open Source and Ubuntu for everyone, maybe not. But how will you know until you try it. Here is something else you might not know, you can dual boot Ubuntu. What? Yes, you can keep your operating system you are using now and at the same time try out an alternative. WOW! You could also use Ubuntu’s live CD to try the system out without even installing it on your hard drive. DOUBLE WOW!
Ok, I’ve been on my soapbox long enough for today, I’m pumped! If I have peaked your interest, even a little, please consider clicking on the Ubuntu links in my sidebar to the right to learn more about what I consider to be one of the new wonders of the world. Oh, and I got the position, if you couldn’t tell from the title of this blog.
So long for now and w00t!
