| Desktop Linux: New Linux users changing the face of community |
by Tom Adelstein (Aug. 4, 2004)
The Linux desktop has matured significantly in the past year, both in technical terms and in the kind of users it attracts. As a journalist, my job requires me to review products and actually work as an open-source consultant. I monitor Linux user forums, interview executives, read analysts' reports, and attend a lot of meetings. I stay current on the technical side by coding and doing a fair share of system administration. When I notice changes, I report on them.
Of late, I have discovered a new kind of Linux user in the community. Call them migrating Linux users. They either just got the word about Linux, found it as an alternative, or finally made the break. They differ greatly from the people I have watched over the past six years.
Sam Hiser, my co-author on a recent O'Reilly book, and I discovered some interesting demographics related to the Linux migrating user. They fall into two groups: business professionals and curious technical types.
They tend to be young, have significant user experience, have an interest in learning more about Linux, like to get under the hood, have or use current or recently purchased equipment, or like to revive existing computers. I'll admit that I enjoy working with such users. They put a different face on the community.
Other demographics related to the migrating users: A majority have purchased a Linux desktop because of the influence of friends. Many of the migrating users prefer to maintain their existing operating system and dual boot. In other words, they want the assurance that they can get to their Windows systems if they don't know how to accomplish a task in Linux. Another factor, they want to get away from Microsoft.
Migrating users need a different kind of community
We can easily track migrating users of Linux. They ask a lot of questions, politely. They also catch on quickly and don't mind letting you know they're wanting to change operating systems. These users go to support forums and pose interesting situations. They don't want to look stupid, even behind the mask of a forum alias. When pressed, they tell you whatever you need to know to help them. They also learn quickly how to solve problems by using mailing lists and forums.
In the Linux communities I monitor, one can sense the urgency Linux veterans have for answering questions. A certain portion of the Linux user population just want to give and make a difference. When a migrating user asks a question, it's not unusual to see a flock of people answering the question.
Sampling allowed us to form our profiles of new users. Also, discussions with active participants and a series of follow-ups have led to our conclusions. We will continue to sample the user populations of the forums.
The self-learning community
Active communities become self-teaching entities where the total knowledge expands exponentially. For example, while I may not have an answer to a particular question, I can absorb the knowledge shared by another person with that information. The latent knowledge waits for an opportunity to express, and migrating users offer specialists that opportunity to step forward. The potential seems unlimited for growth. Participants who compile Frequently Asked Questions for the groups help codify the knowledge base.
An example of such a community exists in the Sun Java Desktop System forum. We chose the SJDS Forum community since it came into existence in December 2003 and offered an unbiased population for sampling. We were able to follow the adoption rate, growth of topic lists, and users. We also identified a leadership structure as it emerged. The topics also gave us key information about the product's satisfaction profiles and users' wish lists.
During the third month of existence, one of the active users in the forum proposed the formation of a community site. The proposal arose as members mentioned a perceived lack of support for popular applications. The community site discussion concluded with a desire for a repository for some Linux user applications not included with the Sun Linux distribution.
Seven months passed without any development of the proposed community web site. After observing a building level of frustration over the lack of optional Linux applications, seeing the same kind of questions asked repeatedly, a group of Linux veterans formed a committee, held a teleconference, and set up a community site.
When planning the site, all agreed that the users on the forum primarily wanted answers to usability, hardware compatibility, and package management questions. For example, laptop users wanted to know how to get their winmodems working or how to configure a wireless lan card. The group also identified applications Microsoft users would want, like instant messaging that allowed them to communicate with MSN buddies.
The Sun Java Desktop System requires little if any command-line knowledge. Sun built the distribution as an alternative to Windows, and to appeal to the Microsoft user. Retail purchasers began to recognize that Sun's Linux desktop fit a need for enterprise users rather than small office, home office users.
The adapative community
The JDS community web site launched during the first week of July. Not unexpectedly, the user community has quickly helped fill the void they see in the Sun Linux distribution. They fill the void with applications not seen on an enterprise oriented operating systems.
To those who don't understand the enterprise model, popular Linux applications require complete repackaging and recompiling on the intended distribution of Linux. The effort requires writing a spec-file which instructs the system where to install the applications and where to find linked libraries. The effort requires compiling the source code on the system. Writing and maintaining the applications requires specialized software knowledge of the operating system and the build environment. The community has provided such expertise.
The contributors to JDShelp.org have also provided in-depth documentation in the form of short tutorials called "howtos". The knowledge base growing on the community site helps the migrating user solve hardware compatibility problems, configure Internet connections, install the operating system, and perform system updates. The community web site also links to Sun's forum rather than adding their own. This allows the community to integrate with the vendor.
The maturing Linux Desktop communities
One of the original premises of successful ecommerce in the mid 1990's focused was on building "communities of interest". Those companies who understood how to build successful communities realized exponential growth. People point to community involvement when they discuss the Linux phenomenon.
In the past, most analysts and developers focused primarily on Linux as a server. Even the news coming out of this week's LinuxWorld Conference in San Francisco has focused on server advancements. In the server forums, people ask questions about Apache, the MySQL database, and adding firewalls. Until now, rarely did we see questions about how to change the desktop menu or adding shortcuts to the desktop. Today, that has changed.
The rapid growth of Linux Desktop communities indicates maturation of the product. It also gives us a glimpse into the status of the adoption model. We can take some concepts from the field of economics and apply them to product life cycles and adoptions curves. If we study those carefully, the Linux Desktop can expect exponential growth. And since this is Linux, we're fortunate to have veterans around to help guide us along.
 About the author:Tom Adelstein works as a Linux consultant and specializes in identifying opportunities for open-source software in organizations. He's the coauthor of the upcoming book, Exploring Linux with the Java Desktop System, published by O'Reilly and Associates. He also works with the Open Source Software Institute. He recently published two articles in Forbes about open-source software and JBOSS. He also has written numerous articles as a guest editor for a variety of publications including LinuxJournal and DesktopLinux.com.
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