Re:don't forget the dreaded "network effects" (Score 1)

I think your assertion that Red Hat is standard 'Linux'and your conclusion that Red Hat will become a monopoly, via network effects, is premature.

Perhaps. I would like to see diversity and competition take a permanent hold on computing, but the ideological and business forces that push for a single winner are still in place (at least in the United States).

the moment a more useful Linux distro appears, everyone who needs to jump ship will simply jump ship

Not if your employer/customer/co-workers require software delivered in the latest version of Brand X binary packaging, and only the latest version of Brand X binary packaging. Jumping between distros might be simple for a home user who wants to experiment with the latest one, but other things have to be taken into account in a work situation.