The older I get, the more certain I am that most discussions consist of arguing over half-truths. In fact, the more strongly everyone argues, the more likely that nobody has the complete truth. And nowhere does these hard-won truisms seem more accurate than in the age-old argument over whether the operating system we all live by should be called Linux or GNU/Linux.

I’m currently organizing the New Mexico GNU/LinuxFest. At first we had it listed as New Mexico LinuxFest. The LinuxFest name was copied from many other festivals and I thought all was just fine. However, after a friend pointed out to me that he uses the term GNU/Linux I decided to look into the name.

This guy thinks that the "GNU" part of the term GNU/Linux is derived from the GNU GPL being the license used for the software. Yes he's confused. I'm posting it here so FSDaily people can go and comment.

"Once upon a time, the term "open source" was coined to save the free-software world from itself--or, rather, from the free-software zealots, as you can read on the Open Source Initiative's Web site."

"Was it the Dell laptops deal? The costless CD shipping from Shipit? The launch of the fully-free Gobuntu? Or will it be the liberation of the proprietary Launchpad platform?"