Propaganda (Linux distribution)

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Propaganda was a collection of GPL-licensed[1] desktop backgrounds often included in Linux distributions and available via free download over the web at the end of the 20th century. The collection consisted of surreal computer art created in The GIMP by Bowie J. Poag in 1998, and has been described as the "same damn swirly-theme-with-some-random-set-of-colors-in-some-boring-pattern motif"[2] and were intended to be displayed as repeated tiles.

After ten months, Poag turned control of the project over to Naru Sundar who was then at the California Institute of Technology. Although Sundar would subsequently release two additional image sets, Poag terminated the project in April of 2000 citing a lack of activity by Sundar. Poag removed the two sets contributed by Sundar claiming that they were "less-than-stellar" in an announcement sent to the editors at Slashdot and later posted on their site.[3]

The name PROPAGANDA was tied-in to a story presented on the site that John F. Kennedy had faked his own assassination in 1963.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ PROPAGANDA license file from its Debian package retrieved 2007-12-30
  2. ^ Comment posted by Bowie J. Poag to Slashdot article on "New Propaganda Series: Rebirth", retrieved 2007-12-30
  3. ^ PROPAGANDA Closes Its Doors, Slashdot, retrieved 2007-12-30
  4. ^ Everything2 node by Toastie, retrieved 2007-12-30