> This gets me thinking about Open Source. I would think that adoption is consistent with the Power to the People ethos in France. How is their Linux adoption as a country compared with the rest of the world?

There is a funny fad of the week in the part of the IT field I am involved in that has old-timer one-finger typing IT guys shouting "Yes but the cost of maintaining linux and training people greatly outweigh those of windows; people don't realize that everybody knows windows but if something goes wrong with linux you have to pay to get help".

The bearded windows guys are scared.

Have the bearded heavy iron guys become bearded windows guys?

Is your experience specific to France? I'm interested in if my perceived view of their culture is correct when it comes to software adoption.

Specific to Belgium and France. Definitely specific to Belgian training staff though. My french on-line acquaintances only speak linux so I only have hear-says from them but they relate the same stories.

The adoption of Linux is just consistent with the fact that we're getting poor.

Are there stats of Linux adoption in France versus elsewhere? Or increased adoption as countries become poor?

In France Unions ARE the authority.

Most of the French work for the government and unions have lots of power.

The union culture in France is much smaller than in Belgium or Germany. The french media are giving it a lot of coverage (while criticizing it at the same time) but it doesn't mean its influence is as effective as you make it sound. There are your classical Poujadas scapegoats.

Most of the French DON'T work for the government and unions have almost no power whatsoever. That's why they make a lot of noise.