The community around GNU, Linux, and Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in general frequently gets called "zealots." But let's look at another angle.

It's all over the intanut tubes. The endless fights between windows and Linux advocates never seem to end. Both factions accuse each other of being FUDmunsters and zealots and both factions defend their own actions aggressively.

I read an article today about an issue that a user had with windows popping up over the screen saver in an environment with ePHI. The author concludes rightfully so that there will never be a year of Linux on the "desktop". When I got down into the comments, I found the typical responses from the Linux zealots.

Some would argue that ODF advocates discredit OOXML advocates, but as Jan van den Beld proves, they are almost always paid by Microsoft in some form or another (watch this profile). On the contrary, the vast majority of ODF advocates simply want fair competition and the right to popularise Free software in the office suites market, especially if merits permit this, bar lock-in.

There has been so much talk in the last two weeks that Microsoft has changed with regard to its patent policy toward Free Software. We fool ourselves if we trust any of the window-dressing that Microsoft has put forward to convince us that we can trust them in this regard.

One last response to the provocation from Microsoft (charm offensive), which IDG's fauxpen source blog is still spinning (third time now)

I’m not sure how this happens, but I see more and more often FLOSS advocates that support Adobe, and in particular Flash, in almost any context out there, mostly because they are now appearing a lot like an underdog, with Microsoft and Apple picking on them.

The deal has already stirred up open-source advocates. "If the strategy isn't to create uncertainty around Linux, it's hard to say what it is," said Jim Zemlin, executive director of the Linux Foundation.

Microsoft's sheer aggression against GNU/Linux as an indicator of Free software strength, not weakness