The Linux Foundation Unveils and Re-Launches Linux.com

There's one little domain name out there that's had a wild ride this year. In January, a rather cryptic post went up on Linux.com, a SourceForge web property, that said updates had been slowing -- and were as of that point ceasing -- because changes were in the works. Then came the silence on the wire.

In early March came the announcement that the Linux Foundation was taking the reins at Linux.com, transforming it from something rather static into something that could better capture the spirit of learning, experiencing, and giving back that is an enormous part of the operating system's allure. Input from existing Linux.com members and others interested in having a say was gathered through the IDEAFORGE submission tool, and the Foundation got to work at making these wishes a reality.

At this very moment, the little domain name is embarking on the next leg of its journey. The Linux Foundation is officially unveiling the new Linux.com, a product by the community, for the community.

The Linux Foundation's executive director, Jim Zemlin, observes that Linux users are as passionate about improving the platform as they are about helping others have rewarding experiences with it. And while, undoubtedly, many times those two acts are their own reward -- a little recognition from peers, colleagues, and potential employers isn't a bad thing.

This idea plays a huge role in the site's new "Guru Rankings." Participation yields points that get users higher up on the "Linux Guru" ladder. The top five Gurus will receive invitations to the Linux Collaboration Summit and sit in on the Linux.com planning meeting as community representatives. The top fifty Gurus annually will be listed in the Linux Foundation Annual Report. But wait -- what about the top contributor? Each year, the top contributor for that year will be presented with a "dream" laptop (running Linux, of course) signed by the man himself -- Linus Torvalds.

There is no shortage of ways to participate. Registration is open, and members can start contributing from day one, in the form of blog posts, reviews, tutorials and how-to submissions. On top of news and user-generated content, the site enables users to connect in order to form and promote local events, projects and meet ups, speak with community managers and members from various distributions, and enjoy a little light reading in its centralized repositories of Man Pages and Linux Documentation Project papers.

So now that the journey's begun, what's next for the little domain? That, it would seem, is entirely up to you.