Is Tux moonlighting? Or did he get laid off?
Oct ‘09: Per Google Analytics, this is the most-read post on my blog.
So this evening I’m driving by a convenience store in Gainesville, Florida, when my daughter Guinevere (now 6 yrs. old) suddenly blurts out, “Hey! That store has a Novell penguin!” I figured it was just some picture of a penguin that maybe kinda looked like the Novell Tux that used to sit on my desk. (Example here; not my daughter, but a great photo.)
We love penguins (who doesn’t?) — especially Linux penguins — so I backed up to investigate. My jaw dropped. It was Tux! Not just sorta-kinda Tux, but the real, official Larry Ewing-drawn Tux, faithfully reproduced — four times! — in roughly 2.5 foot treatments on the walls above the beverage coolers and “Beer Cave”.
From left to right, here is #1:
#'s 2 and 3:
...and #4:
There's no doubt whatsoever as to the source of this image. Here's a close-up of the convenience store wall:
Compare to...
…the high-quality vectored Tux on Wikipedia. It’s the exact same image (just mirrored in two of the uses).
The place is called “Le Store”:
Le Store, Gainesville, FL, USA
…and I’m assuming that the guy who built it is a Linux fan. Best I can tell, that would be Todd Y. Rousseau, who appears to own multiple convenience stores around Gainesville. Of course, it may have been someone else involved in the design of the store who slipped Tux in. Either way, it feels a little weird to me. Ok, legally — the Tux terms of use (”Permission to use and/or modify this image is granted provided you acknowledge me lewing@isc.tamu.edu and The GIMP if someone asks.”) are broad enough to allow it (tho I’m pretty sure no one who works at the store can give that acknowledgment). But it’s still just a bit… not right. Tux hawking Coca-Cola and Budweiser just… isn’t exactly in the spirit of things.
What do you think?
March 19th, 2009 at 9:56 am
If Tux is promoting free beer, I think it is cool.
If the stores give away Live CDs or some other promotion of Linux is happening, I think it is cool.
Otherwise, I think a polar bear should eat the store owner.
March 20th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
I know where that store is! I have seen that before and wondered myself.
that should be a polarbear
- Chris
March 22nd, 2009 at 10:02 am
That _is_ a bit weird. It might as well be an apple with a bite out of it for the feeling it leaves me with (incongruous).
I agree, they should be handing out Live CD’s or be eaten by a polar bear.
March 22nd, 2009 at 11:05 am
FYI, I’ve pinged Larry Ewing with this link, at both his tamu.edu address and his novell.com address (is he still with Ximian/Novell, anyone know?). I’ll post his reply or ask him to comment here if I hear from him.
March 24th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
Hey, he’s just promoting your average coder’s favorite things: energy drinks and beer!
March 25th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Tux, now appearing on the front of Australian Women’s’ Weekly cookery books
http://alecthegeek.wordpress.com/2007/08/06/tux-is-now-doing-cross-marketing-deals/
March 25th, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Scott, I have to say it makes me a little uncomfortable. Key points of open source is free and sharing and I don’t think this is either. I get a little bit of the “making a US flag into underwear” feeling, if you know what I mean.Ann
March 25th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
I think the relevant acid test here is whether or not one could do these “displays” with Apple logos or Windows logos.
March 27th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I think the coolest thing is that your daughter caught it! Adorable tyke!
October 7th, 2009 at 12:22 pm
Maybe Tux got wasted and had to sit down…and never got up because of the variety of beverages available.
October 7th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
The same can be asked of the (I would imagine) many thousands, if not millions of web sites hosting “distasteful” adult, or other categories of non-sociable content on our beloved platform. That thought makes me think a liquor store is nothing in comparison. Especially when Beer is the most popular and recognised thirst quencher within the Open Source community. The ultimate would be a coffee shop though!!! Although you might upset a few Java developers there.