Torvalds the "5th Most-Powerful Man in Tech"

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Torvalds the "5th Most-Powerful Man in Tech"

Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday October 7, 2003 @04:00AM from the where-is-shampoo dept.

An anonymous reader writes "According to silicon.com, Linus Torvalds is the fifth most influential man in technology. The bio they have written for him isn't the most flattering to the open source community though. I quote: "If it wasn't for the presence of Lara Croft and Xena Warrior Princess, techies around the world would have posters of Torvalds on their walls." It goes on to say: "In truth Torvalds best work is in the past"... which seems to negate their own argument for having him in there. Also in the Top 5 is Steve Jobs (1) who comes out on top of Bill Gates (2). As an interesting aside, the writer of the Sobig virus even makes it in at Number 42..."

30 of 594 comments (clear)

5th most powerful? by jargoone · 2003-10-07 04:00 · Score: 4, Funny

That's it? Should be #2. Linux is the second best OS in the land!
Does this mean by AtariAmarok · 2003-10-07 04:01 · Score: 2, Funny

Does this mean he now has a chance of obliterating Gates in "Celebrity Deathmatch" ?

--
Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
Who is Torvalds? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-10-07 04:02 · Score: 5, Funny

And how do I get back to aol.com from this site? I just installed this Internet. HELP!!!
1. Re:Who is Torvalds? by Kedisar · 2003-10-07 04:08 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  It's easy. All you have to do is assemble all your software in neat little piles. Then, stand on your chair, high above your cubicle wall, and scream "DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW TO READ A MANUAL!?"
2. Re:Who is Torvalds? by Verteiron · 2003-10-07 04:59 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Sorry, you blew it. A true AOL'r wouldn't know that AOL has a aol.com site, or that you can get to it from AOL, much less why you would want to...
  
  --
  End of lesson. You may press the button.
3. Re:Who is Torvalds? by coolmacdude · 2003-10-07 05:21 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Newcomer huh. Trust me its not worth it. (I just finished the internet.)
  
  --
  
  -You may license this sig for only $6.99.
Mmmmm by grub · 2003-10-07 04:02 · Score: 4, Funny

The bio they have written for him isn't the most flattering to the open source community though.

Whatya mean? the last line says "Rumour has it he's a Guinness man as well." Mmmmmmm...Guinness...

--
Trolling is a art,
Wah? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-10-07 04:03 · Score: 3, Funny

You don't have a poster of Linus on your wall?
1. Re:Wah? by LittleGuy · 2003-10-07 04:15 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  You don't have a poster of Linus on your wall?
  
  I have one of Lucy instead, you insensitive blockhead!
  
  --
  Mod Karma -1: I sed bad wurds. If I cep my mouf shut, I wud be at riyses.
2. Re:Wah? by Savatte · 2003-10-07 04:21 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  of course not! It's on the ceiling above my bed.
Darl? by Ikeya · 2003-10-07 04:04 · Score: 2, Funny

Where's Darl McBride on the top 50? I'd say he's pretty influential right now. Look at him, he has the UNIX world groveling before him!

--
---- Move SIG...For great justice!
1. Re:Darl? by Dysso · 2003-10-07 04:11 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  It's spelled "growling"...
2. Re:Darl? by DaveAtFraud · 2003-10-07 05:32 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  If he succeeds, you may be right. I just don't think he has a snowball's chance in hell but then the Cubs are in the playoffs so hell may have cooled off a degree or two. My bet is Darl joins the other dispised, corrupt ex-CEOs like Ken Lay (Enron), Bernie Ebbers (MCI), Kozloski (Tyco), etc. who thought they could make a dishonest buck at other people's (including their shareholder's) expense.
  
  --
  They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty.
  Ben
Re:Agenda setting by TwistedGreen · 2003-10-07 04:06 · Score: 2, Funny

ah, okay, that makes much more sense.

geez, do the editors even read the articles anymore?
Slashdotted by ParnBR · 2003-10-07 04:08 · Score: 5, Funny

It seems we are the most influential people over silicon.com servers.

--
My neighbor's .sig is better than mine.
Re:Agenda setting by mhesseltine · 2003-10-07 04:10 · Score: 5, Funny

geez, do the editors even read the articles anymore?

I'm sorry. Did you just imply that the editors ever read the articles? That must have been before I started reading this site.

--
Overrated / Underrated : Moderation :: Anonymous Coward : Posting
are you sure? by Savatte · 2003-10-07 04:18 · Score: 2, Funny

"If it wasn't for the presence of Lara Croft and Xena Warrior Princess, techies around the world would have posters of Torvalds on their walls."

Are you sure it wouldn't be Ellen Feiss?
More importantly... by Soulfader · 2003-10-07 04:19 · Score: 5, Funny

... but you can reasonably expect to sit down and have a beer with him after work if you're in the right city. Can you say the same about numbers one through four?

And more importantly, you might actually want to. I quote the article:
Rumour has it he's a Guinness man as well.
How many of the top 4 are closet Bud Light drinkers? =)
1. Re:More importantly... by MORTAR_COMBAT! · 2003-10-07 05:17 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  At an annual brewmaster's convention, the brewmasters of Budweiser, Miller, and Guinness get together after-hours at a bar.
  
  The Budweiser brewmaster tells the bartender, "I'll have a Budweiser, the King of Beers." And the bartender pours him a Budweiser.
  
  The Miller brewmaster tells the bartender, "I'll have a Miller, thank you." And the bartender pours him a Miller.
  
  The Guinness brewmaster shrugs his shoulders and tells the bartender, "I'll have a water, please." The bartender pours him a glass of water. In response to the Budweiser and Miller brewmasters' questioning glances, the Guinness brewmaster says, "Well, if you boys aren't drinking, then neither will I."
  
  --
  MORTAR COMBAT!
Sobig is 42 by rifter · 2003-10-07 04:21 · Score: 5, Funny

As an interesting aside, the writer of the Sobig virus even makes it in at Number 42..."

So the answer to life the universe and everything is a Windows worm? Somehow it is all very clear to me now... :)
Jobs on top of gates by smellystudent · 2003-10-07 04:34 · Score: 2, Funny

Steve Jobs (1) who comes out on top of Bill Gates (2)
Great, that's just the mental image I wanted before dinner. Thank you very much.

--
Predictive text is shiv!
Re:no RMS? by Weaselmancer · 2003-10-07 04:43 · Score: 3, Funny

Because it's so much fun not giving him proper credit and then watching him foam at the mouth.

It should be an Olympic event. Tell him you love using Linux to compile code, or using Linux to surf the web. Bonus points if you can get his eyes to roll back into his head or have him gibber in tongues.

Weaselmancer

--
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
Re:Influential or powerful? by cube+farmer · 2003-10-07 04:47 · Score: 2, Funny

Bill Gates is powerful, because he's so insanely wealthy. He then can influence all sorts of people with his power.

Yes, yes. But Steve Jobs is the one who's insanely great .

Marketing slogans aside, it's really good to see a more-or-less mainstream press article rating the influence of a "grassroots" movement so highly in relation to more traditional business.

--
MacOS, Windows, BeOS, GNOME, KDE: they're all just Xerox copies
Re:Agenda setting by xanadu-xtroot.com · 2003-10-07 04:51 · Score: 2, Funny

Did you just imply that the editors ever read the articles?

I'm sure they do, from time to time. But what you should be asking is if they *comprehend* the articles...

--
I'm not a prophet or a stone-age man,
I'm just a mortal with potential of a super man.
Re:Pff by jonfelder · 2003-10-07 04:52 · Score: 2, Funny

Troll=1, Redundant=2, Funny=6, Overrated=3, Total=12: So was it funny or not?

If you have to ask, it wasn't.
After the /.ing by craw · 2003-10-07 04:57 · Score: 2, Funny

of the silicon.com web site, CmdrTaco has been added to the list.

Unfortunately, this leads to the revised list being posted on /. which leads to...
Re:Geeks or Dykes? by warpSpeed · 2003-10-07 05:14 · Score: 2, Funny

Samantha Fox
isn't she Briney Spears mother or something?
Re:Pff by zmooc · 2003-10-07 05:15 · Score: 3, Funny

Someone mod this guy up just to annoy him, please.

--
0x or or snor perron?!
Re:Pff by devphaeton · 2003-10-07 05:19 · Score: 2, Funny

I don't have a poster of Torvalds, nor RMS, or ESR. hell, i don't have posters of Lara Croft nor Natalie Pr0tman.

I do however have a full-sized billboard advertisement for a national brand of Instant Grits.

--

do() || do_not(); // try();
Re:Agenda setting by rbullo · 2003-10-07 05:23 · Score: 2, Funny

In prison?

Excuse my ignorance, but could you fill me in on his crime(s)?

--
OH NOES!!! IT APPEARS YUO DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR DIS HERE PIZZA! WAHT EVER ARE YOU GOING TO DO!?!?