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"Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"
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<center>
<H1><font color="maroon">Interview with Linux Today's Marty Pitts</font></H1>
<H4>By <a href="mailto:frc@linux.com.br">Fernando Ribeiro Correa</a> and
Marcos Martins Manhães<BR>
Originally published at <A HREF="http://www.olinux.com.br/Interviews">OLinux</A></H4>
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<EM>Enjoy this interview with Marty Pitts, Managing Editor at
<A HREF="http://www.linuxtoday.com/">Linux Today</A>. He
talks about Linux Today's evolution and the growth of its main subject, Linux
operating systems.</EM>
<p>
<b>OLinux: Please introduce yourself. (career, education,
hobbies, personal and professional achievements).</b>
</p>
<p>
<b>Marty Pitts:</b>
My name is Marty Pitts.I worked in the nuclear industry for
13 years before joining Linux Today, in jobs ranging from
Purchasing Agent to Network Admin. I like to ski in the
winter, hike and camp in the summer and read SciFi in
between.I also like to play around with the latest Linux
distros.</p>
<p>
<b>OLinux: How long have you been working and what are your
responsibilities at Linux Today?</b>
</p>
<p>
<b>Marty Pitts:</b>
When I became interested in using Linux at work, I started
looking for a information about Linux online.One of the
resources I came across was Linux Today. I liked that it was
updated hourly. When I found news that they did not have, I
started using their contrib form.After several months, the
site owners: Dave and Dwight, asked if I would be interested
in working as a volunteer on the site. Having become a Linux
news junkie, I jumped at the chance.</p>
<p>In the summer of 1999, Dave sent me an email asking what
my employment situation was.It just so happened that at my
current job, my boss of several year had just turned in his
notice to quit.It was a good opportunity to think about a
career change.How many people actually get a chance to work
at what they love?</p>
<p>I started working for Dave and Dwight in September of 1999
full time as the Managing Editor.About a month later, Dave
and Dwight sold the Linux Today web properties, which
included
<A HREF="http://LinuxPR.com">LinuxPR.com</A>, to
<A HREF="http://internet.com">internet.com</A>. I have been as a full
time employee of internet.com ever since.</p>
<p>
<b>OLinux: How's the site organized? Give us an idea of how
the Linux Today works. How many people are involved?</b>
</p>
<p>
<b>Marty Pitts:</b>
For the whole channel, which includes 14 web sites, there are
approximately 9 full time editors and programmers.</p>
<p>Right now there are two full time people who work on Linux
Today, myself and Michael Hall.We also take care of LinuxPR
and a couple of other sites in the Linux/Open Source
channel.</p>
<p>Michael lives on the east coast of the US, and I live in
Washington state on the west coast.So naturally we break up
the day, with Michael covering the first part of the day and
then I come online later with a couple hours of overlap.</p>
<p>
<b>OLinux: Can you describe Linux Today evolution since it
began?</b>
</p>
<p>
<b>Marty Pitts:</b>
Dave and Dwight were the ones that came up with the idea for
Linux Today and they are the ones who successfully executed
that idea.They were successful enough to attract the
attention of internet.com.</p>
<p>It started as a labor of love for Dave and Dwight.They
wanted to provide a resource that people could use to find
out what was going in the Linux/Open Source world.They
started the site on September 30, 1998. A year later, they
had both quit their daytime jobs to work full time on the
site, they had been able to hire a full time editor, and they
had posted over 10,000 stories. Currently we are right at
34,000 stories posted, just on Linux Today.</p>
<p>After the sale of the site to internet.com, somethings
changed and others remained surprisingly the same.Dave chose
to leave and pursue other goals, Dwight stayed on and we
worked to keep the site going. To replace Dave, who had done
most of the site programming, Paul Ferris was hired.</p>
<p>Paul, a great guy, started working on the programming side
but still found time to write his column: Rant Mode Equals
One.Currently we are using the second iteration of the site
code, which Paul wrote, and we are about to roll out the
third iteration of the code.It will provide increased
flexibility so that the code will be able to be used across a
variety of different sites, each with its own unique
requirements.</p>
<p>What stayed the same, during the transition, was the
direction and focus of Linux Today. We were told to keep
doing what we had been doing that had made Linux Today a
popular site, which was a relief.</p>
<p>Today we have a lot more original content than we used to.
In addition, our focus is on making the whole Linux/Open
Source channel work together well.</p>
<p>
<b>OLinux: Are there companies sponsoring or maintaining
Linux Today?</b>
</p>
<p>
<b>Marty Pitts:</b>
Since Linux Today is owned by internet.com, they are the ones
who pay for the maintenance of this and the other sites.</p>
<p>
<b>OLinux: Is there any central control to avoid redundancy
and improve editorial efforts?</b>
</p>
<p>
<b>Marty Pitts:</b>
Yes. We have, as part of the backend to Linux Today, an
Editorial Board that keeps track of who is working on what
stories. In addition, we use email extensively, plus we have
an IRC channel for quick communication.</p>
<p>In spite of that, we occasionally will have a duplicate
story go up.Which is why, sometimes you will see a message
that says, 'This story has been unposted.'</p>
<p>
<b>OLinux: How difficult is to present good content day by
day? Besides the users' contribution, do you have any other
content resource (agencies like Reuters, etc.)?</b>
</p>
<p>
<b>Marty Pitts:</b>
Early in the week, Monday and Tuesday, it is usually very
easy to find content to post.As the week progresses though,
it can be a struggle to find good content and resist posting
something that is just a rehash of a story that has already
been covered.Weekends are more difficult since there is
usually no news from the traditional sources. Since we like
to have time off as well, we break up the weekend between the
editors and we also future post some items so that they show
up over a regular period of time.This way, we are able to
take a break and our readers can find some fresh content.</p>
<p>Our readers are a very valuable source of content.Without
them providing links and suggestions, Linux Today would not
be were it is today.</p>
<p>We are able to find some relevant content elsewhere within
the internet.com properties, which we use when available.</p>
<p>
<b>OLinux: How do you see Linux Today in the Open Source
world? What's the best contribution Linux Today has been
giving to the Linux community during its existence?</b>
</p>
<p>
<b>Marty Pitts:</b>
We see Linux Today as the place to stop if you want to know
what is going on in the Linux/Open Source community today. We
search out the events and news and bring it to one place so
that our readers don't have to spend the time doing that
search for themselves.</p>
<p>Through the forums and story talkbacks, we help to
facilitate discussions within the community and give our
readers a place to react to the news of the day.</p>
<p>I believe that Linux Today's greatest contribution is that
we are able to raise the awareness of our readers about the
events, good and bad, that are happening within and to the
Linux/Open Source community.</p>
<p>
<b>OLinux: What are the new features being developed for
Linux Today? Can you detail the main currently
projects?</b>
</p>
<p>
<b>Marty Pitts:</b>
We are about to roll out redesigned site software that will
provide a greater flexibility and robustness to all the sites
on the channel.</p>
<p>
<b>OLinux: What is your opinion about the growth of Linux
in the enterprises? What about desktops, do you have a
projection for the future?</b>
</p>
<p>
<b>Marty Pitts:</b>
From my experience, Linux is infused into the enterprise
deeper than anyone suspects. When a problem can be solved
without having to ask for a new budget item, the guys/gals on
the front lines will use what works. I see the projections by
companies like Gartner and IDC and I have to laugh. They
don't know how to properly measure the revolution that is
taking place under their noses. Their methodology can't
account for stealth deployments.</p>
<p>The desktop is there already. Ease of use and graphical
tools have come a long way in just the past year or two. I
use Linux as my work environment, and for many like myself,
Linux is already there.Just look at what we have available to
us, DVD decoding and playback capability, the latest video,
sound and networking hardware. The environments available are
amazing as well. Even though I don't use KDE or GNOME (I use
a pure 'Enlightenment' desktop), I have both of them on my
system and use their apps.</p>
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<H5 ALIGN=center>
Copyright © 2001, Fernando Ribeiro Correa.<BR>
Copying license <A HREF="../copying.html">http://www.linuxgazette.com/copying.html</A><BR>
Published in Issue 65 of <i>Linux Gazette</i>, April 2001</H5>
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