What is Code ?

It's what programmers make, and what software is made out of. It is writen in many languages; C++, Basic, java, perl, python, Ruby, php, shell scripting to name a few.
Code is the currency of the Free Software movement.

Like the works of any author, code is automatically copywritten, and the creator has the right to allow, or dis-allow use of the material, by attaching restrictions and/or terms of use. Open Source refers to a license that grants almost unlimited use; to copy, use, modify, sell and distribute. What's the catch ? To comply with the most common open source licensing terms (GPL) you can do anyhing you like with the material, but if you change it, and then re-distribute it, you must make your source code freely available, for others to copy, modify, sell, whatever, under the same terms.

That way, programers don't have to start from scratch. They can start with something that sorta looks like what they want, add a few things from other sources. Modify existing code, write some of your own, and patch it together with somebody elses programming ! The body of work is snowballing, and because the internet is it's breeding ground, and it's coming from every corner of the globe, linux is the worlds largest collabourative effort, by far. There may be a quarter of a million active developers and millions of users and it's based on freedom and sharing. Unprecedented !

"I don't program, why should I care ?"

Because the resulting product is often remarkably good software that improves exponentially. That means tools, like for graphics, and communication, and for crunching serious numbers, and making music, are available free, to anyone, anywhere. It will keep getting better and better and it will always be free.

"and this linuxcaffe thing, how does that fit in ?"

The vast majority of computer users are Microsoft Windows(tm) users and by now, most of them have heard about "linux". Yeah, yeah, the penguin software thing, but only a fraction have actually seen it. They have perhaps heard that linux is running the servers for their companies website, or that the hospitals use it to do intense calculation, or that Google is actually several buildings full of linux computers all hooked up together, but most regular Windows users still wonder what it even looks like. They can see it (and get it) at linuxcaffe. For lots of folks, even those who have heard that there's this free, cool, virus-proof software called linux, downloading a 700meg file, and burning the .iso to a CDrom is a hurdle. Not knowing where you can get it, nor where to find other folks who use it, is a deterrent.

We'll show it to you, rent you a laptop running it, sell you copies of the best examples, tell you where to meet enthusiasts, and help you find professional linux consultants. Would you like another latte with that ?