Help Us Design 20th Anniversary T-shirt and Be a Part of History

Throughout history, people have done a variety of things to mark important milestones in their communities and in their personal lives. Research on human behavior says this is based on a basic human desire to share with others your victories, successes and joys.

This is why we recently kicked off a variety of celebrations to mark the 20th Anniversary of Linux, which officially takes place this August (or October, depending on your position in this ongoing debate).

We believe this is an especially important milestone because the operating system represents the work of so many individuals, companies and organizations from around the world. It is the unprecedented collaboration of all of these people that has made Linux the fabric of today’s computing. Just like the way in which the software is developed, we want to help celebrate 20 years of Linux as a community and give folks ways to contribute to and be a part of that celebration.

Today, we’re inviting you to help design the 20th Anniversary of Linux T-shirt, which will become the official LinuxCon attendee T-shirt (LinuxCon will be the location for the 20th Anniversary Gala and official celebration) as well as the official 20th anniversary T-shirt available for purchase in the Linux.com Store. We first hosted this community contest last year when we launched the Linux.com Store. The winning design has become one of the most popular items in the Store.

The revenue received from sales of the T-shirt in the Linux.com Store will help The Linux Foundation protect, promote and standardize the Linux platform in the months and years to come. So, with your winning design, you can put your imprint on this important moment in the history of computing and help to advance Linux for the future by generating important funds for legal, development and promotional work. Oh, and I almost forgot: As the creator of the winning design, you get airfare, hotel and an attendee pass to join us at LinuxCon in Vancouver, B.C. Sweet deal.

Please submit your design! It’s really easy; just visit the T-shirt Design Contest webpage on Linux.com to get more information. We’ll take submissions through the end of May and will invite the community to vote for its favorite in June. You can read today’s press release about the T-shirt Design Contest, too.

If design isn’t your thing, please help us with the 20th Anniversary of Linux video. This contest is already underway and we need more submissions from which Linus Torvalds can choose the best. Get more information from Amanda McPherson’s recent blog entry or visit the 20th Anniversary of Linux Video Contest webpage directly.