The #1 item on my Top 10 List of Linux FUD Patterns concerns its learning curve. This pattern is probably the most prevalent and primarily appeals to fear by attempting to convince you that Linux is too hard for the average person to use or that it is simply not user friendly. There are many variations of this pattern, from the straight-forward “Linux is for geeks” assault to more mature, logical arguments, such as “if Linux can do everything the fill-in-the-blank OS can do, why bother with the hassle of switching?”.

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.

In this installment of my series on the Top 10 Linux FUD patterns, I address two patterns that have more to do with software packages that run on the Linux platform than with the Linux OS itself. As I stated in a previous post, every believable piece of FUD has some element of truth behind it, and these two are no exception.

Linux FUD Pattern #3: With Linux, you cannot access old files or share new files with others.

Linux FUD Pattern #4: There are no good software titles for Linux.

Every once in a while, an article or post will appear, claiming that Linux is just not good enough for everyday use. The reason?

Will the use of Linux void the manufacturer’s warranty of your computer hardware? This is one fear that prevents some people from making the leap to Linux, which is why it is on my Top 10 List of Linux FUD Patterns. The short answer is, it depends; however, there are steps that you can take to increase your probability of receiving service under a warranty.

Some weeks ago, I shown you a list of 30 themes for enhancing your Gnome desktop. Many readers loved the dark themes from this list, so here’s a new list of 20 dark and absolutely beautiful themes for your Gnome desktop.

Bisigi themes had always been my favorite. Initially they started of with 9 themes and now the full set includes 12 mind blowing themes for Ubuntu gnome. And the most interesting part is that, you can download these themes directly from Synaptic.

Must be a US citizen. The FSF is hiring a second Campaigns Manager to be part of a team that directs and coordinates our campaigns for software freedom. This is an opportunity to take a senior role in the organization that sponsors the GNU project, publishes the GNU GPL and works to promote the message that software freedom is a civil liberty.

"Design Patterns in Ruby by Russ Olsen is an introduction to Design Patterns. It covers 14 out of the 23 patterns of the GoF Design Patters: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software book and adds three Ruby-related patterns. The book examines each pattern in general, shows how it applies to a dynamic language like Ruby and explains when to use or not use the pattern..."