Open Source. No longer hype, just business as usual

I am reading an article by Matt Asay about the position of "open source" in the "hype cycle". He asserts that 2010 has been the year that Open Source became "invisible", that it is no longer hyper-worthy news that some company is using or producing open source software, but that instead that open source has become the foundational default for infrastructure and tools software.

I think he is correct, and as a long term proponent of the "open source" project, dating back from when I was a young undergrad who had just read Stallman's manifesto, I am gratified that the concept is having been proven correct. But as professional open source advocate, and as an employee Eucalyptus Systems, a company that actually creates and distributes GPL-licenced open source infrastructure software, this makes my life more difficult.

In the past, one could "ride the wave" of the hype a bit, and take advantage of the opportunity to educate reporters and potential buyers to both evangulize the whole open-source project, and also the specific project one wants to present. That free ride for publicity is now over.