Linux over Windows - A callow developer's choice

I have been thinking about this for some time now. What will be my answer if someone asks me why did I join Novell, why do I pride about it and for knowing about Solaris (maybe not so much but still... ), for being associated with a company like Sun which is supporting open source with such vigor these days.

I am no expert or any kind of an authoritative person in Linux to fill this post up with so much technicalities that it becomes evident that I must like Linux very much to have spent so much time with it. My view is of a callow, I have been using windows from the time I can remember of having a computer in my room and I have been introduced to Linux only say for the last 2 or 3 years. What is it then that makes me like Linux so much ?

Have you ever taken up Microsoft Certification ? Well, I haven't but my guess is you would have to know quite a lot about various Windows based tools like Windows Server, Visual Studio etc etc. Lets say you did learn all that, now do you feel as if you own it, as if it belongs to you, as if you are the king of the OS ? No, it doesn't feel so. You feel as if you are cooperating with something or someone to get your job done.

Lets have a look at Linux, when you sit in front of the Linux command prompt based terminal and type away commands, being pleased with yourself and of course impressing yourself that you can do what an "expert in Linux" can do. You feel it is yours, it belongs to you, it will obey your commands; as if you "rule" it. All this because it is open source.

This is just my opinion as to why I like Linux so much over windows, that too in such a short time. Maybe this is the reason why so many developers opt for Linux over Windows but instead of accepting that Linux is good they besmirch Windows and gloat at it.