On the Inside:  An Outsider's View of  the Linspire Insiders
By Webmaster
I joined the Linspire Insiders and it is very pertinent to this article that you know why I joined and did not make a big fuss.  In fact, I made so little noise about it that it took a few very observant people by suprise.

I was perusing around the Linspire website as I sometimes do looking for new and different areas that I had never been before (also, it was a slow day at the store and I had nothing better to do).  It was then I came across a new area of the website called "Consultants".

"Consultants?"  I asked myself,  "Isn't that what I am?  A Consultant?" 

So, I read on.  Sure enough.  It describes me to a 't'.

Linspire Consultants are technically-savvy individuals who can help you determine if Linspire is right for your organization and of course assist you with efficiently deploying Linspire.  They can answer questions about Linspire, demonstrate features and even provide copies of the LinspireCD operating system so you can test out Linspire before you install it.

I was taken aback.  "I'm not a Consultant?  I'm not on the list?  WTF?"

So I signed up.  One problem, though.  I had to be an Insider.

After some colorful metaphors and a little hardcore profanity, I chose to think about it.  On the one hand, it costs $99 and being the kind of person that enjoys taking on more responsibility, it will mean more work.  On the other hand, I get to test out 5.0, I get inside information (which I like as well), and I get to be a consultant.  I get to be a consultant!

So, I signed up for Insiders and immediately after that, I signed up for and configured my consultant's account.

Then, I downloaded 5.0 Beta.

After downloading the ISO I headed for My Linspire.  It looked a little different but no real changes had occurred - well no changes except the added "Consultant Info" link which I thought was pretty cool.

I headed for the forums and that is where it hit me I was an Insider now.  Well, not so much hit me as patted me on the back and said: "Way to go!"

Now, before I go on I want to say that the Insider's forums are a whole nother world.  Some of the same forums that everyone uses are duplicated specifically for the Insiders only but populated with people you just don't see responding to the public forums. 

The usual people are there too, like Kendall, the mods, etc.  But instead of making me feel at home, their presence there made me regret I had not joined sooner and was rather humbling.  I don't really know why.  It may have had something to do with losing a certain comfort with the public forums.  I knew people, I was happy with the knowledge I was gaining from the leaks of information about Linspire 5.0 (L5 for short) from the insiders who I regarded as nothing more than knowledgeable people with better resources.  Now I'm one of those people with the same resources, but I am no more knowledgeable than I came into this with.

The Insider forums are far more technically-oriented than the public forums which is why I think some people do not enter the public forums at all: not enough of a challenge.  I know these people are reading posts in the public forums, but I am sure many choose not to respond.  With all these technically-oriented people hanging about, I feel like a six-foot tall man standing in a five and a half foot ocean with the all too frequent wave going right over my head.

So, was joining the Insiders was a negative experience?  No.  Even though I did not join Insiders to be an Insider, now that I am one I would not give it up.  I have access to valuable information that will benefit me and my businesses, I can play with pre-release software, I am a consultant, and I can help Linspire in ways I was not able to before - something I feel very strongly about.

Anyway, even if I am standing in an ocean of knowledge that occasionally sweeps over my head, eventually I will learn to tread that water and maybe even catch a wave or two.

My word of advice: Insiders is not for everyone.  If you have any doubt in your computing skills or ability there are plenty of ways you can help Linspire out without parting with $100 of your money.   I will not push you to become an Insider, nor would I discourage those who wish to pursue this course.  The important thing is to decide what you feel is the best decision for you and make it happen.