Some journalists get in trouble for stock trades and muckraking. Here's the confession that will surely prompt cries for my resignation: I use Windows. Worse yet, a night with the Boston Linux & Unix User Group didn't change my mind. But keep reading -- it may change yours.

Livin' in a Linux paradise

The attendance and liveliness at this BLU meeting topped any other group I've seen. Standing-room only, 50-plus people. Ever been to slick industry get-togethers and felt out-of-place among the marketeers and biz folks? Here's the casual, tech-focused group you've been seeking. And talk about enthusiasm: people constantly commented and asked questions. When the meeting had been over for half an hour, there were still small groups standing around chatting.

After every meeting, the group adjourns to the Cambridge Brewing Company. This isn't an elite schmooze-fest; they announced it at the meeting. I was personally invited twice. Hey, they're smart and nice. Eric Raymond is speaking at next month's meeting. Are you convinced yet? Linux and Unix aficionados should be at these gatherings. Bookmark BLU's website. Don't even finish reading this article. Just go.

Lazybutts need not apply

I admire the principles of free software, and I'm no big fan of Bill Gates. Yet I'm writing this in Word. That's because I'm a lazy slob. I tried to install Linux a year ago, and it totally hosed my computer. If I can't get this OS properly installed with the help of three geek friends, I figured, screw it.

I might give it another shot at some point. Christoph Doerbeck, who gave the presentation at Wednesday's BLU meeting, says it's gotten easier to install Linux in the past six months. Plus Red Hat 6.1, Mandrake, and Corel have GUIs now, so you can point and click to your heart's content. "Corel has the big advantage as far as being user-friendly," he said, "but for people who attend here -- we're all pretty savvy -- Corel's very limited in options."

There's the problem. Open source is famous for collaboration and community, but it all seems to start at a savvy (i.e., semi-expert) level. "Where do you get your basic, newbie Linux questions answered?" I asked. "Somewhere online, maybe?"

"Plenty of books," said Christoph, "Linux for Dummies is always a good starting point."

Hmm.

The open source community is certainly helpful. People at this meeting introduced themselves, shook hands, traded business cards, and said things like "Email me if you have any questions." And Christoph says Linux has a similar learning curve to Windows, so theoretically, if you know one you're smart enough to learn the other. Once you get up to speed, you're home free. But if you disagree with the old axiom "getting there is half the fun," Linux might not be the project for you. Especially if you've got a question that's not in your book.

Amen!

I've met some Linux users who evangelize free software with the zeal of a fundamentalist preacher. These types seemed absent from the BLU meeting, thankfully.

The evangelists need to think about the paradox here, though. If you upbraid someone for using Windows, put your money where your mouth is and offer to help them install it, and to answer their basic questions when instructional books fall short. To be fair, BLU will help you with the first part. They just had an installfest, and they'll be at the Geek Pride Festival for another one.

They're not getting my laptop just yet, though. I have a lot of books in my to-read pile, and Linux for Dummies isn't one of them.

Jen Muehlbauer's column appears every Friday in digitalMASS. Her e-mail address is jen@englishmajor.com.