The Linux Foundation (LF) has taken over editorial and community control of the Linux.com news site. The LF will collaborate with previous owner SourceForge to upgrade the site in the coming months to offer more community and collaboration features for Linux users and developers, says the LF.
The non-profit Linux Foundation has purchased the Linux.com domain, and has assumed control of the site, but SourceForge will continue to sell advertising, says the group. Linux.com, which saw 21 percent growth in traffic in 2008, according to the LF, offers industry news and forums devoted to Linux information, software, documentation, and technical answers across the server, desktop/netbook, mobile, and embedded areas.
The coming redesign of the site will feature collaborative forums hosted by the LF, and borrow from community programs currently available on Linuxfoundation.org, but with upgraded content, tools, and community services provided by Linux.com. The new site will "rely on the community to create and drive the content and conversation," says the LF.
The LF is working on a new version of the site, which will see a Beta launch in a few months. In the meantime, it has launched an "IdeaForge" feature for gathering opinions and ideas on the redesign from the Linux community. The relationship does not apply to other SourceForge properties such as SourceForge.net, Slashdot, ThinkGeek, and freshmeat.net.
Stated Jim Zemlin, the LF's executive director, "SourceForge is demonstrating its commitment to the Linux and open source community with this arrangement. We look forward to showcasing the power of collaboration through Linux.com and our on-going alliance with SourceForge."
Stated Jon Sobel, group president, Media, at SourceForge, "For SourceForge, this is both an opportunity to continue serving the Linux community and to represent the Linux Foundation with our company's media expertise."
Availability
The IdeaForge feature that has been set up on Linux.com, should be available here. The Beta version of the redesign should be available in a few months, says the LF.
