Having had a scientific education I know something about the basic problems of classification. You're facing this enormous variation of a real life population and now you have to recognize and define properties, devise some way to measure them and then group them together in a way that not only makes sense, but gives you some useful insight in the world you're trying to analyse.

The US software giant has launched a new set of products aimed at standardising the provision of online services to citizens by public administrations. But while Microsoft says the move will help address the fragmentation of Internet services offered by local authorities, competitors argue it may pose a threat to the development of alternative software.

While the bloggers in my neighborhood seem to be trying to catalog the FOSS users as if we were a species of butterfly or something, I thought I'd contribute to the noise. Only my offering will be a taxonomy of those writers whose mighty corporate paychecks make them columnists while their desire to roll around on the floor with the kids and be cool makes them "bloggers". And then we'll narrow that field down to the ones who turn their attention to open source software.

This month, we have:
* OpenGEU - A step-by-step install from OpenGEU creator Luca De Marini.
* How-tos: Directory Server, Ubuntu on an iBook, Installing OpenTTD (Transport Tycoon Deluxe), and part one of the new “Create Your Own Server” series.

Linux FUD Pattern #2: Linux is not “officially” supported.

When you hear the phrase “official support,” what comes to mind? Informative user manuals? A well-staffed call center? But what makes it “official”? This is the second item on my Top 10 List of Linux FUD patterns: the lack of “official” Linux support. The goal of FUD based on this notion is a mixture of fear and uncertainty, to make you believe that using Linux means having no place to turn when a problem occurs.

"We are proud to announce that the final version of Parsix GNU/Linux 1.0r0 code name `Ramon` is available now..."

"Your claimID URL is an OpenID URL. This means that you can use your claimID URL to log into websites that support OpenID. Some great OpenID-enabled sites include..." FSDaily ;)

"Richard Stallman answered a query of mine today, regarding the need for free hardware - that is, hardware which the public is not restricted from understanding, so we can write free software drivers for that hardware..."