I came across a very interesting and heated discussion on the whole Linux v.s. GNU/Linux argument.  (Read the first part here.)

There are some devotees who think using the term Linux on it's own is improper and that the proper name is GNU/Linux.

GNU/Linux encompases the notion that a Linux distribution is a combination of free or open source software that sit on top of the a kernel - in this case that kernel is Linux.  From what I understand, the kernel is the communication line between software and hardware.  That is what Linus Torvalds created.

So Linux was "lucky" that there existed a repository of software that could be run on it. 

So to call a Linux distribution just Linux is ignoring the years of dedication and hard work by the fine programmers that brought you all the great software programs you use as well as the programs used to build those programs. 

The flip side of the argument comes from people who are saying that the term Linux has evolved such that it implicitly communicates it is both the kernel and software.

Personally, I feel for programmers of GNU software. Their work should be acknowledged.  But I think it's too late to change people and I think it's a waste of time to try. It would be like forcing everyone to use the term 'facial tissue' and stop using the name 'kleenex'.  The word kleenex is used waaaay more than facial tissue.  So good luck with converting the kleenex people.   

I for one will continue to interchange the use of GNU/Linux and Linux depending on the audience I am speaking to.  For some, the Linux world is confusing enough without having to understand GNU, GPL, Open Source, Free v.s Freedom, etc...   Some people just want to use the darn thing to check their email. 

So let's not forget that Linux is really GNU/Linux, but let's not push the issue too much for some people. 

Oh, and if I find out you're a GNU/Linux fanatic and you ask me to pass you a kleenex, I will personally kick your behind :)

Want to really know why some of the stuff you buy is so cheap? Watch this 20 minute eye-opening video that exposes the connections between environmental and social issues. This video had a large impact on me and how I view my purchasing activity in the marketplace.

Because I am a computer geek, the part about planned obselescence using computers as an example REALLY stunned me. This is where I believe that Linux has an important role to play by combatting this phenomenon through re-cycling older hardware into production use roles where it would have normally been thrown in the trash. This business of built-in obselescence is truly an accurate reflection of the darker side of humanity. You read about the how old computer components and television monitors are filling landfills overseas, something called e-waste. A lot of this stuff is toxic too. But hey, as long as it's not in our backyard. Out of site, out of mind. I for one certainly do not respect that attitude.

This, to me, is one of the fundamental goals of Ubuntu. Not just any Linux distribution - but Ubuntu. Ubuntu is the art of being human. The word Ubuntu describes a belonging to a greater good and the genuine improvement of the community. Businesses who practice planned obselescence have lost site of what it means to be human. It truly is a shame. If they could instill some of the Ubuntu philosphy back into their core being, I think the human race would improve by even larger leaps and bounds.