Stories about: No Fear

The Internet has 1.3 billion users, but that's not enough for Lynn St. Amour. As CEO of the Internet Society, she is expanding the nonprofit group, which promotes development of the Internet globally. St. Amour doubled the group's staff in 2007 and beefed up its outreach activities in Africa, South America and Asia in her bid to add another billion Internet users worldwide. National Correspondent Carolyn Duffy Marsan sat down with St. Amour this week at a meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force, an ISOC-funded standards group. Here are excerpts from their conversation:

So, you've just installed Ubuntu 7.04, otherwise known as the "Feisty Fawn" release of everyone's favorite (for now) flavor of Linux. You booted the installation disc , looked around the test environment to discover that your hardware was working, and double-clicked the Install icon on the desktop. The Ubuntu installer helped you make room for Linux on your hard drive, and even copied over some of your documents and settings from Windows.

Virtual computing is the flavour of the moment. Scott Spanbauer lets you in on the best ways to keep your os at arm's length.

Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates, during an appearance on Friday at the US Computer History Museum, expressed no fear of Linux usurping Windows in the software industry.

Peter Giorgilli is a computer consultant. He works on site for The Age amongst amongst a cornucopia of computers. Unlike his fellow employees, however, Peter uses Linux exclusively for all office productivity: word processing, email, design and development, you name it. Peter takes Linux to heart and has managed to convince his employer that he is more productive in a Linux environment. This, he believes, sets an example for other Linux enthusiasts and employers alike.