Don't kill the penguin, embrace the image
Linux is on the up, and one of the key points for maintaining this rate of growth is strong branding. Strong branding = having a mascot/logo. Tux is a friendly enough logo, distinguishable by all those who have a clue about IT.
Tux makes people smile, but avoids being childish in a way that would make companies think twice about using it. Face it, if you have any second thoughts about using a piece of software, having a Penguin as a mascot is unlikely to be a contributing factor.
Another point I feel needs making, if Linux is to be taken seriously - kill the penguin? I don't think so. Does anyone remember reading on Digg.com that someone had spotted a Ubuntu banner by a roadside in the US? Sorry, let me rephrase that a little, a HUGE banner by the roadside for a FREE piece of software? Yes, I agree, killing the penguin is really going to make the difference here.
I feel the article that sparked this one was written slightly naively - putting Linux down because Vista will have a more 'common sense' interface. To be fair, if the world had spent the last 20 years using Linux all day every day, i'm sure it would be second nature to them too. In addition, it's easy to make good interfaces when you have the same level of money as MS to throw at research and development.
I think people forget, Linux IS free, you can't expect it to automatically rival the next MS flagship product. But just because it can't compete financially doesn't mean that it should be written off. It also doesn't mean that blaming it's "second place position" on a Penguin is in the ballpark of sanity.
Either way, Mr Ohlhorst doesn't deserve a flaming, he just deserves a bit more education on the topic.
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