Linux and sex battle it out in Utah
Correction at 8:00 a.m. PDT: As a reader pointed out, Red Hat's R&D center is in Westford, Mass.
Even though the data is apparently a bit screwy, I was still really proud to see Utah emerge as the top state for "Linux" searches on Google.
The data also shows that Cubans prefer "Linux" to "sex," which is almost certainly not true, but I think there may actually be something to Utah's strong affinity for Linux, at least as it relates to searches for "sex" on Google.
In Utah, we already know about sex, so we don't have to spend a lot of time searching for it. I have four kids. I should probably be searching for "birth control" before I search for "sex." :-)
With many people getting married in their early 20s, especially in Mormon-filled Utah County, we even know where to find it. Just look at how a city like Provo (comparatively many Mormons) fares compared with Salt Lake City (comparatively few Mormons).
Provo is the place for "Linux." Salt Lake City? It still wants "sex."
But why would Utah have a much stronger interest in Linux than every other state? The article I cited above suggests that it's due to Novell's presence in the state, and that may be, especially in Provo, where Novell has an R&D center. But I would then expect much the same of Raleigh, N.C., where Red Hat is based. Nope. "Sex" is still king in Raleigh.
Only if you go north to Massachusetts does Red Hat's affection for Linux over sex show through.
In fact, if you look at the data, Westford (where Red Hat's R&D center is located) shows an overriding concern with Linux, while Waltham (where Novell is based) splits its time between sex and Linux.
Humorously, if you add "Microsoft" to the mix, Red Hat Westford cares more about Microsoft than Linux, but only by a small margin, while Waltham? Let's just say it's seriously got Microsoft on the mind. :-)
So what does it all mean? Absolutely nothing. But it's still great to claim Utah as the home of Linux in the United States. We'll take the honor. It's a nice diversion from that other search term.
Matt Asay brings a decade of in-the-trenches open-source business and legal experience to The Open Road, with an emphasis on emerging open-source business strategies and opportunities. Matt is vice president of business development at Alfresco, a company that develops open-source software for content management. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. You can follow Matt on Twitter @mjasay. 
1) Novell's main operation center is located in Orem (just north of Provo).
2) LinuxNetworx is in Draper...
3) ..so is SCO (yeah, that SCO).
4) The USOE (Utah State Office of Education) recognized Linux and put it into their curriculum in January 2000. A shedload of Utah collegiate instructors/professors (myself included) also began teaching it officially during that time.
5) SLLUG has been hella active in nearly every Utah-based computer exposition and show there.
(and many, many more...)
Can be used in more things Linux . Free is so close to Freedom Freedom to make design and explore new things . Linux
I think it's time we just abandon CNET and look elsewhere.
RD
http://www.useurl.us/17n
Just when you think some "report" or stat is weird ... think again. Maybe it's not. Content out of context can be uncomfortable.
- by neo_granas August 26, 2008 12:11 PM PDT
- @hamaw: You are so ridiculously wrong, it is beyond laughable. The LDS church has nothing to do with who a member marries. And the LDS church has nothing to do with linux either, so why are you even bringing it up.
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(20 Comments)@Craigber: Your rather crass assessment of this article seems to correlate with your understanding of what it is about. If you couldn't care less about linux, why did you even click on the link to read the article?
Matt Asay compares Provo (where Novell is) to other places, such as Red Hat's base, so it's not just Novell or other companies like it that is the cause for the results.