The shakiness of the macroeconomy plus general problems with travel arrangements caused many usual attendees to sit out <A HREF="http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Linux-and-Open-Source/LinuxWorld-2008-Enthusiam-Up-Attendance-Down/?kc=EWKNLEDP08112008A">this year's LinuxWorld Conference & Expo</A> in San Francisco. More than 7,500 people signed up, but about half that actually showed up, some estimates said. But there was no lack of enthusiasm for new product releases--especially in the data center, mobile and cloud computing sectors. Those who stayed home missed a lot of good new products and plenty of good networking opportunities.