Slashdot ran a story today about Linux Going Mainstream. The story links the BBC article Linux steps into the limelight about the growing use of Linux in many different environments. The Slashdot discussion raises some interesting points, among them the very real possibility that this isn’t necessarily “The Year of the Linux Desktop,” but rather “The Year of Articles About Linux on the Desktop.” There’s no doubt that Linux has grown into a very useful desktop operating system for some people, but the evidence that it’s being adopted in large numbers is still shaky at best. I think its use in the mainstream will grow, but not quite as fast as the media is making it sound or its proponents would have us believe.