The question 'is Linux in trouble?' is of course entirely rhetorical and it's not. The students I'm working with already have a well developed hacker ethic: if the source is closed, it's "for dummies" (meant pejoratively, like in the movie 'Idiocracy'). Geeks of tomorrow use what geeks of today use: intelligent stuff. But sure, let the dumb kids in the USA use their stoopid Microsoft. We all know the USA is at least five years behind when it comes to teaching math and science, so why not computers as well?
Kirby
OK, so I cooled off an mollified my position somewhat here: http://mathforum.org/kb/message.jspa?messageID=5674085&tstart=0 I've been feeling very friendly towards Bill of late, ever since his Foundation hired away a certain school superindent that's been nothing but trouble for us here in Portland. Yay Bill and Melinda, way to go! When it comes to proprietary/secret stuff, even Shuttleworth'll do that. It's simply *not* either/or and never has been in Silicon Forest. I've sparred with Stallman on precisely this issue: what if geeks don't see other geeks worthy of sharing with, in that opponent culture? Sometimes a counter-culture just reserves for its own, OK? Like, I probably won't be writing up my Saturday Academy classes in such detail any more. That's work I do for a paying client. If curious, enroll in a gnu math course near you, and experience the difference our charming snake makes. Kirby