Linux community in Austin

As some of you know, a Software Freedom event is planned in South Austin on Sunday - details here: http://austinlug.org/node/294 I honestly don't expect much turnout, probably 6 to 8 people - but would like to be pleasantly surprised.

There is a lot of talk about Linux on the desktop recently given the low perceived opinion of Windows Vista. However, I sometimes feel that people overlook that in many ways Linux _won_ the server. Yet, are those Linux server users giving back to the community here in Austin?

There has to be hundreds of computer industry companies in Austin who commercially / financially benefit from Linux. Yet, since Linux is free as in zero cost, there is no marketing money for generic Linux itself. I say that it an open source spirit, it is up to community volunteers to do 'marketing' and often 'promotion' out of their own pockets.

For every copy of Windows or OS X sold, part of the money gets set aside for marketing of future copies of Windows or OS X. When Linux is so often free, you can see the problem.

From what I have seen here in Austin, very little time or money is being donated by the companies using Linux in embedded, server applications, internet services.

There are at least 4 active Linux groups in Austin. Some brainstorming suggestions on how to get involved:

-- Get your tech employees to come to a meeting and do a presentation. Maybe only 15 minutes or a couple hours. Try to avoid outright product sales pitch, suggest focus on technical details, your own internal desktop or server usage, or even software development tools and such.
-- Sponsor pizza and drinks for a local Linux Users group meeting. $25 is a good start.
-- Sponsor Linux like you would a commercial partner brand. If you are throwing a public event, contact the local Linux groups and fund a placard to promote their meetings and websites.
-- Find out about the next major Release Party and pay for t-shirts, USB memory sticks, movie tickets, blank DVD's, or other common tech gifts. Put your own company name + Linux on products and say "we appreciate the Linux community" or something. Linux supporters are not beyond taking free gifts ;) Door prizes are nice to have for our meetings.

The development and support community of Linux is pretty well established. But who is doing the marketing, demos, promotions? Linux isn't exactly on prime display at Wal-Mart, Fry's or Best Buy.

I invite you to come Sunday to discuss this; I'd like to see if the Austin community can do a better job with the forthcoming Ubuntu 8.10 release on Thursday October 30, 2008. A Linux Halloween Party? Election theme?

Thank you.