“I’m actually surprised that others didn’t get closer to the points that I had,” Fillpot said. “I’m also one of the moderators, so I spend a lot more time trying to make sure everything is running smoothly, trying to keep spammers away. So, it was a bit surprising that others didn’t have as much content on the site when I spend so much time working in the background.”

Fillpot was one of the site’s first beta testers in 2009, and became a moderator soon after. He has been using Linux since 2000, after a friend recommended he try it just before he started college. He came to love it while getting his degree in network engineering and IT security, but he doesn’t use it in his job.

Even though he answered more questions than any other member on the website, Fillpot insists that he continues to use Linux.com primarily as a learning tool.

“There are plenty of cases where I’ve learned from others. We have some very smart network engineers and software engineers that frequent the site, and they come up with scripts and functions for different ways of accomplishing the functions that are much faster than what I normally would have done. One of the things that keeps me going back, is we have very talented people from all around the world who are willing to jump in to help everyone and share info. That’s really what binds me and some of the other [Linux.com users].”

For his contributions to the site Fillpot will be rewarded with an invitation to the Linux Collaboration Summit on April 6 to 8 in San Francisco, and a fully-loaded Linux laptop.

Aspiring Linux gurus better get posting, because Fillpot plans to use the new laptop to develop projects to help other site members set up better security platforms for their home or business systems (which, of course, will lead to more posts).

But, if you’re thinking that you could do better, the Linux Foundation recognizes the power of the open source community, and thus is launching the T-Shirt Design Contest. The Foundation will provide a forum in which community designs can be shared, rated and ultimately made available on store merchandise, giving anyone the opportunity to help with fundraising for Linux Foundation activities.

Design submissions are due by April 11, 2010. The top five designs will be available for community vote through June 6, 2010. The winning design will be included on T-shirts available for purchase in the store and the designer will be awarded with travel to Boston, Mass., to attend LinuxCon in August.

“Linux’ increasing use across industries is building high demand for Linux jobs despite national unemployment stats,” said Jim Zemlin, executive director at the Linux Foundation. “By providing a Jobs Board feature on the popular community site, we can bring together employers, recruiters and job seekers to lay the intellectual foundation for tomorrow’s IT industry.”

Job seekers can include their LinkedIn details on their Linux.com profile, including their resume. They can also subscribe to the Jobs Board RSS feed, receive alerts by email and follow opportunities about Linux-related jobs on Twitter.