Why Subscribe?
No ads. No fads. No traps.
I write about Linux and open source. Not the “10 best distros” kind. The kind where a single maintainer keeps code running on billions of devices while the corporations using it contribute nothing back. The kind where an open-source project’s governance collapses, and nobody reports on how it actually happened.
Nobody else was telling these stories the way I wanted to read them. So I started writing them myself.
I have been doing this for over 20 years. I started using Linux with Ubuntu 4.10 Warty Warthog in October 2004. I have architected 14 platforms across telecommunications, digital health, media, and conversational AI. I co-founded a technology company. I coordinated 3,000+ technology professionals.
None of that qualifies me to tell you what to think. But it gives me enough experience to tell you what I have seen.
What That Means
No ads. I do not accept payment to write about any company or product. If I mention a tool or a project, it is because I have used it or investigated it. No banners, no tracking pixels, no “sponsored content” dressed up as articles.
No fads. I do not chase trends for clicks. If a topic does not survive the “will this matter in two years?” test, I probably will not write about it. My articles focus on engineering decisions, human stories, and structural problems in open source. Not hype cycles.
No traps. This site has subscription levels. Some content is behind a paywall. I am honest about that because writing is not a hobby for me. It is work that needs to support a living. If it cannot, the site closes. What you will never see here: flying ads that hijack your screen, cheap clickbait designed to waste your time, or email funnels that harvest your data. Asking you to pay for work that took real effort is not a trap. It is a transaction between adults.
What You Get
Stories about the people and decisions behind the technology you use every day. Written by someone who has spent 20+ years building production systems, not just writing about them.
The human side of open source: Who maintains critical infrastructure, who pays for it (and who does not), and what happens when the system breaks.
Technical analysis with opinions: Not balanced to the point of being useless. I pick a side and explain why.
Personal experience: From switching operating systems to evaluating desktop environments to running production in the middle of the night. Real stories, not hypothetical scenarios.
I also donate to open source projects every year. If you pledge (Founding pledge amount), you become part of that donation with proof and a chance to help select the projects.
My Conflicts of Interest
Full transparency.
I write under my full name. No alias, no nickname. I have nothing to hide and nothing in my writing to be ashamed of.
I have been working for Fortune 500 companies as well as startups and scale-ups for more than 20 years. I also earn from writing.
I use Linux daily. I have strong opinions about distributions, desktop environments, and tools. When I recommend something, assume I am biased by my own experience. I always disclose what I use and what I have tested.
I have no financial relationships with any Linux distribution, open source foundation, or technology company mentioned in my articles. If that ever changes, I either do not write about it or put a disclaimer at the top.
One Last Thing
If the kind of writing I described sounds like something you want in your inbox, you are welcome to subscribe. I publish at least two articles a week and one newsletter. You will hear from me when I have something worth saying, and I usually do.
If it does not sound like your thing, no hard feelings.
Can Artuc
The Architect
c [at] canartuc.com