It seems scarcely a day can go by without someone declaring some technology or another "dead." Take the netbook, for example. People have been saying for years it’s dead; today, however, we have the Chromebook phenomenon. The command line is another popular target, of course, but few can compete with the Linux desktop itself, the death of which has been trumpeted so many times now that Linux Girl has lost count.

There’s been much ado about office suites over the past year or so, thanks in large part to the anticipation and then arrival of Microsoft’s baffling Office 2013. We’ve seen the ascendance of LibreOffice, we’ve seen Redmond’s wacky pricing plan, and we’ve even heard rumors — as yet unsubstantiated — of a launch that would blow more than a few minds. None of that could have prepared us for what came to light last week.

There’s no denying that those of us here in the Linux community see our fair share of ups and downs in any given week or month, as events unfold that either advance or set back our favorite operating system. Sometimes, though, it’s difficult not to be amazed by the way things often balance out “Even Steven” — much the way they did for Jerry Seinfeld way back when.

Once upon a time there was a modest young operating system named “Chrome OS.” It tried to live a quiet life helping others, but its ancient roots made some in the mainstream computing world wary. Not only was it one of the first examples of a new type of OS, focused as it was on the browser, but it was also descended from Linux, the very name of which was still widely misunderstood among the masses.

Given all the legends surrounding Apple’s widely mourned Steve Jobs, it’s not entirely surprising that comparisons should be made any time another tech leader begins to resemble him in any way. Case in point: Mark Shuttleworth. The billionaire Canonical founder has actually been compared to Jobs on numerous occasions before, but lately the discussion was renewed afresh by a recent post on Linux Advocates.

It seems that the FOSS community sees its ranks expand just about every day, as new fans of free and open source software join the fold. What’s much less common is to see former advocates of Linux and FOSS change their minds and depart. That’s pretty much what happened last week, when GNOME cofounder Miguel de Icaza announced that he had abandoned desktop Linux in favor of Apple’s Mac platform.

Here in the Linux blogosphere, most fans of FOSS are nothing if not outspoken with their many opinions. Those opinions tend to be unequivocal on matters large and small, so it’s always notable when a new technology comes along that leaves bloggers scratching their heads in uncertainty. That’s a rarity, needless to say, but just recently a shining example emerged: the Chromebook Pixel.

Well March has arrived here in the Linux blogosphere and with it, widespread hopes for the rebirth and renewal of spring. Linux Girl wishes she could say things have been calm and tranquil over the past few days, but of course they haven’t — this is the Linux community we’re talking about, after all. There have been many trials and tribulations for Linux fans recently.

Here in the Linux community, most of us enjoy high-level debates about strategies and trends just as much as the next technology enthusiast does. At the end of the day, however, it seems safe to say that what we tend to relish most of all is a good ol’ nuts-and-bolts discussion of the tools and tricks of the trade.

Six weeks have passed since Canonical’s splashy debut of Ubuntu for phones, but for many here in the Linux blogosphere, the memory is still crystal-clear. It came as some surprise, then, to see follow-up news announced so soon afterward. The news this time? None other than Ubuntu for tablets.

There’s no denying that Linux has had a lot of great moments since the turn of the millennium, and Linux Girl has done her best to highlight each and every one of them — at least over the past six or so of those years. Recently, however, the question was the subject of a new poll that prompted vigorous debate.

Rumors are not exactly an uncommon phenomenon here in the Linux community, but every once in a while one comes along that is so compelling, such a deliciously tantalizing prospect, that bloggers just can’t leave it alone, no matter how far-fetched it may be. Case in point? Oh, it’s a juicy one: “Microsoft is having a ‘meaningful look’ at a full Linux port of Office … .

It’s no secret that partnerships involving Microsoft tend to make Linux bloggers nervous, and given the lessons of history, it’s not exactly any wonder, either. So FOSS fans will have to be excused for the anxiety with which they’ve watched the latest developments with Dell. CEO and founder Michael Dell is attempting to take the company private through a leveraged buyout.

If Linux Girl didn’t have to spend such a large proportion of her salary dry-cleaning her cape each week, there’s no doubt she would invest those extra fortunes in some of the many purveyors of ibuprofen and other pain-relieving medicines. Why? Because of all the headaches FOSS fans are forced to endure here in the Linux blogosphere.

They say everything old is new again, and it would be difficult to find a better example than a post on Slashdot last week. “Why a Linux User Is Using Windows 3.1″ is the title of said post, which refers to a recent NetworkWorld story by the same name. “About two weeks back, I was using my Android tablet and looking for a good graphics editor,” author and said Linux user Bryan Lunduke began.

Well it’s been another wild week here in the Linux blogosphere, what with all the ruckus emanating out of the bordering Redmond territories. Much like what happened last fall when Windows 8 made its fanfare-filled debut, the launch of Office 2013 and 365 last Tuesday left more than a few Linux bloggers with a ringing in the ears that didn’t abate for days.