The video was created by Amitay Tweeto who lives in Bet Shemesh, Israel. The 25-year old freelance graphic designer and UI consultant entered this contest because he thinks Linux is suffering from bad PR and when people think of Linux they think “technical,” gray stuff for programmers only. Amitay wants to let people get to know the other side of Linux, the flexibility they can get with no technical background. I think he did a good job

Entries are open NOW for the 2010 competition > CLICK HERE for details.

Open Source? Many people may have no idea what it means, to some it’s a descriptive tag for certain platforms of community developed free software, to others it’s “lab” computing for geeks, at the far end it’s a comprehensive lifestyle ethos and to a select Facebook few on the flip side of phonetics it’s a bottle of HP with the lid off waiting to be plopped onto their soggy fish & chips. What’s obvious is that the term “Open Source” applies to more than a single area or product, however there is a constant and if we dig down we’re going to end up somewhere around root “collaboration”.

The word collaboration is invariably linked to production of an end result and is further described as being inherently positive (except, interestingly, during wartime), its corroborated companion, “cooperation”, is apparently always positive and the staunch anti-thesis of both comes to us as the dark deceitful back-door concept of “collusion”.

A perceptually large amount of the Open Source community relish the apparent notion we may indeed be at war, a war (for them) against a certain monolithic software giant (who shall remain nameless) and I must admit it does feel like that at times, although in war don’t you have to have two sides fighting each other? If not I believe there’s an escalating scale of aptly applicable descriptions for such systems one could pull on, leading up to virtual despotism! But hey, let’s not get too extreme here, after all we’re the ones sporting beards and sandals remember (or is that just me?) and that’s most definitely not what Too Much Green is about, life is a choice and it’s all about options, ideally

What’s more important in life to you? Security? Purpose? Status? Family? Can they be separated? I don’t think they either can or should, for if you factor in our flair for social interaction you complete the full package for endorsed happiness, with life, as a result, becoming substantially more than the sum of it’s contributed parts thanks to increased benefits attained through a collaboration of needs.

Positive energy flows from collaboration and through open collaboration it flows even freer, you know how nice it is when someone helps you out purely because they want to? Indeed, aside from being the basis for friendship it could even be the crux of potentiality for a truly evolved future of our species (we really have to stop trying to blow each other up). There’s no doubt the production of anything is instilled with a certain something extra if it’s been created from passion and goodwill rather than on the back of a single focused drive to capitalise and make money (remind you of anyone we know? I could pick several examples but if we stick with computers I think you get the picture).

So, where is this going and what does it mean to your daily email and web surfing? Well, maybe you should tell me, all I’m saying is that Open Source software is so much more than just a great way of saving money.

Our choices in life define who we are.

The world according to Google isn’t a bad thing from where I come in, it’s all very well and good me sat here relentlessly crusading for Linux through Too Much Green but hard as I try I’m obviously never going to attain anywhere near the exposure and reputation of the Google God (unless something really bizarre happens), as such I was (am) more than excited at the prospect of a Linux OS being instantly catapulted into the mainstream Google *globe* and the repercussions it’s going to have for Open Source Solutions and those who offer them (Too Much Green – obviously), which is more than can be said for Microsoft, yes indeed, the dance for the desktop has a new contender and they’re not afraid to stand on a few toes, even if they are attached to the feet of a corporate giant.

Whether or not Microsoft can dance doesn’t really come into it, they may indeed be too big to don a tuxedo and glide elegantly across the sprung floor under a slowly rotating glitterball of end user applications but their size provides a hefty advantage in other areas, they can (and do) fight and in this case instantly responded with a sharp uppercut to Google Docs in the shape of a free online offering for their ubiquitous Office suite (albeit a trimmed down and ad-supported version), nice shot, above the belt too (just), however online is still online and although an internet perma-connection you’d think was a statutory modern day daily service what with the always connected iPhone culture it’s also a modern day delusion, iPhone’s don’t use their Wi-Fi for permanent web linkage, they use a mobile telephone network, so, what happens to your online docs when you’re not….online….well, unless you use a mobile dongle on your laptop (and are able to catch a signal)….they just sit there, and so do you.

Do yourself a favour, don’t believe the hype, Open Office is free to download, use and distribute, with no internet connection required once it’s installed.

It’s incredibly reassuring and inspiring to come across like minds, especially when they’re based in ones home country (& county) and especially when they’re on such a professional level. I’ve recently linked up with Open Source For Business (OS4B) based in Leeds (West Yorkshire, UK) who are just this, and more, to quote…

“Open Source for Business (OS4B) is the exciting joint venture from Yorkshire Forward and nti Leeds, designed to help regional businesses make the most of open source technology to benefit from cost effective and flexible open source IT solutions”

…sound familiar? I was most gratified when they listed Too Much Green on their providers page, a fresh link up for increasing exposed visibility of our combined cause is a real plus to start any day with.

I was recently put the question “What does Open Source mean?”, obviously it’s a big subject and the term can mean different things in different areas and correspondingly to different people from different professions, however for me, even in it’s predominantly perceived area of I.T, it means so much more than just free software. Aside from a presently unrealised global financial safety net for the underpinning business technology of enterprise I.T the whole movement reflects the positive advantages which open collaboration can bring to our battered world, it’s ‘hope’ (I know, I sound like Obama…!), seriously though it really is, the underlying energy flow is literally the flip side of what’s being destroying society for many years. The human race can and does work well together, and when it does so by choice and with passion the results are even more amazing, most anything is possible, even free software.