Torvalds Dubbed Most Influential Executive of 2004

Woot! by networkBoy · 2004-11-23 11:32 · Score: 0, Redundant

Linux is better than M$!
Linus is better than Balmer!

Yeah yeah yeah :)
-nB

--
whois gawk date unzip strip find touch finger mount join nice man top fsck grep eject more yes exit umount sleep dump

Re:Woot! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:53 · Score: 0

Hey now, how is a first post redundant?
Overrated, yes . . . redundant? no.
-nB
Re:Woot! by codermarc · 2004-11-23 12:01 · Score: 0

I can't wait until an upheaval erupts over the MS / *nix divide that defines the Slashdot crowd...
Re:Woot! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:25 · Score: 0

What about Mac users?
Re:Woot! by EnderWiggnz · 2004-11-23 12:27 · Score: 1

we'll kick both of your asses into next week.

--
... hi bingo ...

in what way is he by Surt · 2004-11-23 11:32 · Score: 4, Insightful

an executive? What company is he in charge of these days?

--
"Who is the Journal of Quantum Physics going to believe?" --Stephen Hawking

Re:in what way is he by Sweetshark · 2004-11-23 11:35 · Score: 4, Informative

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=executive
1. A person or group having administrative or managerial authority in an organization.
organisation != company.
Re:in what way is he by Neward+Rylet · 2004-11-23 11:41 · Score: 3, Informative

Read the article
He's neither a chief executive nor a chairman. He holds no executive title. And just last year, he accepted his first paying gig in the Linux industry that he founded. He belongs on the list due to his influence, but due to the nature of his creation he lacks the executive title.
Re:in what way is he by Sponge+Bath · 2004-11-23 11:49 · Score: 1

Hmmm..., I guess that makes more sense than my current theory that executives are a race of vampires feeding on the life force of employees.
Re:in what way is he by 0racle · 2004-11-23 12:00 · Score: 2, Interesting

What influence? He didn't create an Open Source movement. He founded no companies and the official kernel is used only as a guideline for distros. On his own, Linux would not have become the corporate success that it is on its way to becomming, that is thanks to IBM, Suse, Red Hat et al. If someone doesn't like what he does, they create their own patchset. So what influence does Linus have. He's said that binary drivers are wrong, but that hasn't stopped anyone from asking for them and using them, except those that already agreeded with him, so where is this influence?

Don't get me wrong, I have respect for what hes done and that hes been able to do it, its far more then I can ever see myself being able to do and he deserves every praise for that, but most influencial executive? Thats really streching it.

--
"I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
Re:in what way is he by nwbvt · 2004-11-23 12:15 · Score: 1

Ok then, what organization is he the executive of? Last I checked, the thing he is most famous for (Linux) was developed by the community, not an organization.

--
Mathematics is made of 50 percent formulas, 50 percent proofs, and 50 percent imagination.
Re:in what way is he by kelnos · 2004-11-23 12:21 · Score: 4, Insightful

On his own, Linux would not have become the corporate success that it is on its way to becomming, that is thanks to IBM, Suse, Red Hat et al.
How does that in any way make Torvalds less of an influential executive? IMO, the fact that these companies are willing to invest their livelihood in what started out as Torvalds' pet project speaks volumes about how influential he is.

It's high time that influence in the tech world is gained not by rhetoric and marketing, but by being a reasonable, credible, respectable person with a boatload of techincal talent.

Put another way, "influence" doesn't just comprise the things a person actually does, but includes all the indirect effects of a person's actions. He *started* the Linux kernel. Could someone else have done it? Probably. But he's the one that actually went and did it, and he's maintained a vision for it and nominal control over it during the past 13-odd years.

Did he create the Free Software movement? No. But if he hadn't created Linux, I see OSS more of a fringe thing, composed mainly of fanatical followers of RMS. What good are Free programs if you don't have a Free OS to run them on? (Note that RMS himself has very little influence outside the OSS world, and I'd argue that his influence *inside* the OSS world isn't all that much either.)

--
Xfce: Lighter than some, heavier than others. Just right.
Re:in what way is he by 0x461FAB0BD7D2 · 2004-11-23 12:26 · Score: 1

The OSDL: Linus Torvalds Hired by OSDL

He is also a Benevolent Dictator for Life. Dictators are definitely executives.
Re:in what way is he by nwbvt · 2004-11-23 12:28 · Score: 1

" The OSDL: Linus Torvalds Hired by OSDL "
There he is a fellow. A tad different from an executive.
"He is also a Benevolent Dictator for Life. "
Thats Guido.

--
Mathematics is made of 50 percent formulas, 50 percent proofs, and 50 percent imagination.
Re:in what way is he by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:35 · Score: 0

I think that by "executive" in this case, they mean "person who wields executive power". In which case, rather a lot of significant companies depend very heavily on Linus' making competent decisions. I reckon the title is valid.

Oh, by the way, if I recall correctly he works for OSDL - so his decisions have a major effect on ongoing policies. (okay, I am aware that OSS!=Linux, but you must agree that his decisions tend to impact the majority of open-source projects, guven the kernels most of us use [BSD, HURD, etc, fair enough, but you are not numerous..]).
Re:in what way is he by 0x461FAB0BD7D2 · 2004-11-23 12:50 · Score: 2, Informative

There he is a fellow. A tad different from an executive.
Yes, he is a fellow. But his job is to lead the development of Linux, and will help to set the direction and initiatives of the OSDL. As such, he is an executive of sorts.

Guido is a BDFL, but so is Linus.
BDFL
Re:in what way is he by timeOday · 2004-11-23 14:07 · Score: 3, Insightful

What influence? He didn't create an Open Source movement. He founded no companies and the official kernel is used only as a guideline for distros.
Founded no companies? Big deal. Most companies have never created something as influential as Linux.
Re:in what way is he by superpulpsicle · 2004-11-23 14:26 · Score: 2

Like the product or hate it. He has proved to everyone that you can make money without relying on any marketing, product rushing decisions and corporate politics in a capitalist filled-with-bullshit society.

The concept of "LICENSING" was introduced by Gates as a way of making money. Well, "OPEN SOURCE" is the new road map for making money in the new millenium.
Re:in what way is he by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 15:18 · Score: 0

... "influence" doesn't just comprise the things a person actually does, but includes all the indirect effects of a person's actions. ...
(Note that RMS himself has very little influence outside the OSS world, and I'd argue that his influence *inside* the OSS world isn't all that much either.)

So the GPL hasn't had all that much influence inside the OSS, let alone outside?

I think your earlier statements contradict your disparagement of Stallman...
Re:in what way is he by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 15:49 · Score: 0

Linus Torvalds is a straight dealer. He organizes (litterly thousands) of developers daily, coordinating their efforts. He doesn't tell them what to do (although occasionally that does happen), but he critiques their work, and allows patches or not. The Microsoft "executives" in comparison are not unlike any robber-barons of old. Something new came along, they monopolized it for a while and got rich. With each and every one of these, reality set in, and the golden touch tarnishes with the look of old brass. Steve Ballmer has said the sparkle is gone (having to threaten people to use his software). Behind his back they are all saying (to quote Bart Simpson): BITE ME!
Re:in what way is he by LuSiDe · 2004-11-23 22:59 · Score: 3, Informative

The GPL was 'made' by Eben Moglen, not by Richard Stallman.

--
WE DON'T NEED NO BLOG CONTROL.
Re:in what way is he by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 23:38 · Score: 0

I would have thought that PJ would have ranked higher than Linus.
Re:in what way is he by febuiles · 2004-11-24 02:08 · Score: 1

>> (Note that RMS himself has very little influence outside the OSS world, and I'd argue that his influence *inside* the OSS world isn't all that much either.)

Trying not to be a RMS a fan, I'll remember you that he's been one of the important guys in the decisions made the last months by the Brazilian government to support Free Software and use it actively.
Re:in what way is he by nwbvt · 2004-11-24 03:02 · Score: 1

You have still yet to point out an organization he is in charge of?

--
Mathematics is made of 50 percent formulas, 50 percent proofs, and 50 percent imagination.
Re:in what way is he by Erik+Hollensbe · 2004-11-24 04:58 · Score: 1

Holy over-analyzed crap batman!
Re:in what way is he by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 09:50 · Score: 0

I like the product, but...

>He has proved to everyone that you can make money without relying on any marketing, product rushing decisions and corporate politics in a capitalist filled-with-bullshit society.

He's proven that an uber-coder can make money without doing that. Frankly, that's no surprise. The real question is: can the rest of us ordinary folks do the same? The jury is out on that one.

>The concept of "LICENSING" was introduced by Gates as a way of making money.

Uh, I don't know what color the sky is in your world, kid, but the computer industry had software licensing since before Gates was born.

Does your mommy know that you're posting on a website for grownups?
Re:in what way is he by kelnos · 2004-11-24 13:59 · Score: 1

I guess I'm more talking about ongoing, current influence. Sure, RMS's idea for the GPL (which he didn't actually write himself, but it's the concept that matters) really fueled the early Free Software landscape, but I don't feel like I see RMS doing all that much today, while Torvalds is (despite his low-keyed attitude) a pretty high-profile figure in the OSS world. And, regardless of what your or I may believe, RMS is generally looked down upon for his somewhat fanatical attitude toward Free Software. I don't deny that he had a vision and stuck to it, but that's just how things are. On the flip side, I think Torvalds' pragmatic approach is a bit more palatable to most people.

I guess the point that I was trying to make with that last paragraph is that, while RMS essentially started the Free Software movement, I don't feel that it would have gone very far without someone like Torvalds to actually do something huge with it. (Yes, I know that RMS wrote a lot of the original GNU toolset, but, again, what good are Free tools if you don't have a Free OS to run them on?)

--
Xfce: Lighter than some, heavier than others. Just right.
Re:in what way is he by 320mb · 2004-11-25 18:51 · Score: 0

RMS is a nutcase! and I for one have grown tired of his $RANTS on the LKML (linux kernel mailing list). I think he did way too much acid in the 60's.

--
=== 'Kernel Panic' no sig found:

Good to hear, but not surprising. by laughingcoyote · 2004-11-23 11:33 · Score: 5, Insightful

Given Linux's penetration of business-level computing, and its influential role on software development as a whole, this is not really as surprising to hear as some might think. Still, it is excellent to see someone recognize this.

--
To fight the war on terror, stop being afraid.

heh by Killjoy_NL · 2004-11-23 11:35 · Score: 5, Interesting

I think it's ironic that a normal guy who doesn't have millions in the bank (as far as I know of course, please prove me wrong if neccesary) is seen as more influental than those IBM and MS bigshots.

Funny :)

--
This is the sig that says NI (again)

Re:heh by Sweetshark · 2004-11-23 11:38 · Score: 2, Interesting

AFAIK Linus owns (or at least did own at some point) a few millions from some linux distros going public ...
(read the book "Have Fun" for more info)
Re:heh by TheKidWho · 2004-11-23 12:10 · Score: 2, Insightful

Yeah and no Steve Jobs? That guy has the music industry in the palm of his hand.
Re:heh by burns210 · 2004-11-23 12:26 · Score: 4, Informative

I would, instead, read the book 'Just For Fun' by Linux Thorvalds. It is a great book. The names escape me, but several distros, in the earliest of days(mid-90s), gave Linus stock options as a 'thank you' for their opportunity... I wanna say redhat, and then later(the more financially interesting of the two) was like Suse or similar... it topped several hundred dollars a share on its IPO, and slowly dropped afterwards... Linus was at the time, in the span of 1 day, a multi-millionaire on paper(he couldn't sell any of the stock though, for X number of days)...

Good book, go read it.
Re:heh by qbwiz · 2004-11-23 14:57 · Score: 3, Informative

then later(the more financially interesting of the two) was like Suse or similar

It was VA Linux, the parent of Slashdot, of course.

--
Ewige Blumenkraft.
Re:heh by bogomipz · 2004-11-24 00:26 · Score: 1

Who is Linux Thorvalds?
Re:heh by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 02:56 · Score: 0

Does anyone have the porn industry in the palm of his hand?
Re:heh by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 03:27 · Score: 0

see also: John Galt

#exec Linus\ Torvalds by Shut+the+fuck+up! · 2004-11-23 11:35 · Score: 5, Funny

bash: exec: Linus Torvalds: not found

Re:#exec Linus\ Torvalds by codergeek42 · 2004-11-23 15:01 · Score: 0

Why are you running as root? Bad /.-er! No cookie for you!

in what way is he-Taking "stock". by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:35 · Score: 0

"an executive? What company is he in charge of these days?"

Do they have stock options?

No Jobs? by Dixie_Flatline · 2004-11-23 11:36 · Score: 5, Insightful

It seems rather odd that Steve Jobs isn't on that list, considering how much the stock price of Apple has gone up this year. The iPod is big news, and the company seems to be coming back into relevance in the Scientific, educational and home desktop markets. Instead, Michael Dell is on there, and all he's done is put a lot of machines together and put out a copy-cat MP3 player. (He's done a good job at it and made a lot of money, don't get me wrong. He's no innovator, though.)

Re:No Jobs? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:40 · Score: 0

> He's no innovator, though.

Compared to Dell he is.
Re:No Jobs? by peculiarmethod · 2004-11-23 11:41 · Score: 1

He and his money making company kept Austin, Texas as a viable technological force throughout and past the 90s crash. This is important for economy, jobs, innovation (from other austin based companies like TI, 3M, and smaller indie companies). His investments and capital have dramatically influenced the executive world. It IS about making money (with love overhead hopefully) afterall, isn't it??

--
** "It's not my job to stand between the people talking to me, and the ones listening to me." -- Pego the Jerk
Re:No Jobs? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:45 · Score: 0

Steve Jobs isn't an executive, he's a leader of a cult
I love apples, don't you?!
Re:No Jobs? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:49 · Score: 0

i hate apples, and love oranges...
Re:No Jobs? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:10 · Score: 0, Troll

Yeah, Jobs has been influential for Apple, but Apple hasn't been very influential on the industry in recent years.
Re:No Jobs? by Software · 2004-11-23 12:12 · Score: 4, Insightful

Jobs isn't on the list because CRN is targeted towards business computing ("Vital Information for VARs and Technology Integrators"), not home computing. Dell does both, while the iPod and most other recent Apple inventions are targeted towards the home.
Re:No Jobs? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:32 · Score: 0

DELL is arguably a far more influential company though. They ship something like 10 times the units that Apple ships, and if DELL decided to back Linux (for example) the ripples would be felt all over the industry. Pretty much everything Apple does is limited to their own little niche, except perhaps the iPod, but it would be tough to argue that a successful mp3 player should put you up into the big leagues of the computer industry. Hate to be the one to tell you, but when Apple releases a new Mac, the Bill Gate's and Sam Palmisano's of the world don't stay up at night worrying about it.
Re:No Jobs? by paxcirca · 2004-11-23 12:35 · Score: 3, Insightful

Xserve, Xserve RAID, OS X Server, Logic Pro, Final Cut Pro, et cetera, are aimed towards home use? As much as I want an Xserve cluster in my closet, these products aren't aimed towards the consumer market.
Re:No Jobs? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:40 · Score: 0, Interesting

Niche. Niche. Niche. Irrelevant. Irrelevant. etc. Face it, Apple makes great innovative products, but the company has only a marginal influence on the industry as a whole. I know you really really want to think otherwise, but Apple is a niche company. It has a sizeable and profitable niche, but a niche nonetheless.
Re:No Jobs? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:52 · Score: 1, Insightful

Ok, so just name all the pro stuff that is aimed at the high end non-home users. Try the iMac, which is for home use. And not just his Apple stuff, what about Pixar. Pixar has never had a bad movie. Jobs companies have raised the bar for other companies that compete in the same fields.
Re:No Jobs? by damiam · 2004-11-23 14:07 · Score: 2

The idea was to point out stuff that was for non-home use, because that's the stuff CRN is considering. The iMac is irrelevent.

--
It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
Re:No Jobs? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 20:39 · Score: 0

Let us also not forget Dell's on hand inventory or lack there of. Dell's ability to create a system that leaves them with very little inventory wasting away on the shelves has become a new standard in the industry.
Re:No Jobs? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 02:16 · Score: 0

Pixar has never had a bad movie? Two words... Monsters...Inc...

That movie was so lousy I had to turn it off half way in as I simply couldn't suffer through it any longer. Finding Nemo wasn't much better and both are what I would consider 'bad movies'

Love the interview by Dynastar454 · 2004-11-23 11:36 · Score: 5, Funny

Interviewer: What do you think of _____?

Linus: Oh I don't know. Doesn't really matter. I just like to code.

Copy-paste as needed. :-)

--

Laugh at stupidity: mod idiots +1 Funny.

Re:Love the interview by IO+ERROR · 2004-11-23 12:54 · Score: 1

And that's how you get to be influential: by being REALLY good and REALLY persistent at something. Linus is both.
"I just like to code."
I'm surprised he didn't mention anything about the plans for world domination. Did that get put on the back burner?

--
How am I supposed to fit a pithy, relevant quote into 120 characters?
Re:Love the interview by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 13:05 · Score: 0

Love the interview (Score:5, Funny)
...
Laugh at stupidity: mod idiots +1 Funny.
Re:Love the interview by archen · 2004-11-23 13:15 · Score: 2, Funny

Interviewer: What do you think of "your wife"?

Linus: "Oh I don't know. Doesn't really matter. I just like to code."

Hmm... he's got a kid so something doesn't add up there =P
Re:Love the interview by warpSpeed · 2004-11-23 15:00 · Score: 1

I'm surprised he didn't mention anything about the plans for world domination. Did that get put on the back burner?
Having three kids soaks up a lot of your time. World domination will probably have to wait until they graduate college.
Re:Love the interview by Hatta · 2004-11-23 17:43 · Score: 1

I've got to say, this is about the best Linus quote ever:
My personal goal in life is to have as little to do with paperwork as possible.

--
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Re:Love the interview by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 18:23 · Score: 0

Laugh at stupidity: mod idiots +1 Funny.

+5 Funny
Re:Love the interview by Tough+Love · 2004-11-24 02:51 · Score: 1

he's got a kid

Three kids.

--
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
Re:Love the interview by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 04:28 · Score: 0

Ah. So he's still in the process of debugging.
Re:Love the interview by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 09:15 · Score: 0

he's got a kid so something doesn't add up there
sorry to dissapoint you, but the only sure thing here is: "his wife has a kid" :)

Linus doesn't look like a geek! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:36 · Score: 0, Informative

huh...Linus doesn't look a thing like I pictured him.

/First time seeing a pic of the guy

Re:Linus doesn't look like a geek! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:50 · Score: 0

Everytime time I see a pic, he's gained a few pounds. By the time he's 40, he'll be about 300lbs!
Re:Linus doesn't look like a geek! by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 16:06 · Score: 0

That's what happens when you live in (f)A(t)merica

the obligatory... by Suburbanpride · 2004-11-23 11:37 · Score: 1, Funny

I for one welcoem my new new Lnus overlord.

--
sorry 'bout the mess...

Re:the obligatory... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:40 · Score: 2, Funny

Oh the humanity! A perfectly good joke spoiled by forgetting to hit the 'Preview' button. Slashdot weeps for you, my son.
Re:the obligatory... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:47 · Score: 0

I for one welcome my new spelling overlord
Re:the obligatory... by themoodykid · 2004-11-23 11:52 · Score: 2, Funny

At least he didn't accidentally type 'Pnus' instead.
Re:the obligatory... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:59 · Score: 0

That is hillarious...I wish I hadn't already posted on this topic.
Re:the obligatory... by overbom · 2004-11-23 12:03 · Score: 1

It can always be worse, he could have welcomed his new "anus overlord."
Re:the obligatory... by mistersooreams · 2004-11-23 12:12 · Score: 2, Funny

Is LNUS his NASDAQ handle?

That guy is getting everywhere these days.

--
apterous.org
Re:the obligatory... by ggvaidya · 2004-11-23 12:12 · Score: 1

From the interview:
Interviewer: What irritates you most about the software industry?
Linus: Bad spellers. Definately.

=)
Re:the obligatory... by momerath2003 · 2004-11-23 12:45 · Score: 1

Linus: Bad spellers. Definately [sic].

OUCH. I see you have discovered a method of inflicting pain over the internet.

--
I had but a simple dream, to destroy all humans.
Re:the obligatory... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 14:06 · Score: 0

I, personally, welcomed my new Linus overlord a long while ago. Lnus, on the other hand, I'll have to think about.

Influencial? by myrdred · 2004-11-23 11:38 · Score: 4, Insightful

He may be a great person, a great kernel programmer, a great executive, but influencial??? He influences what gets into the Linux Kernel and what doesn't. He doesn't set trends. He doesn't guide where the industry is going.

Applications do that, not the kernel. Firefox has an influence. Sure Firefox is Open Source, but Linux has nothing to do with that. Features in desktop environments such as KDE and Gnome can be influencial, an Operating System as a whole can be influencial - but Linux - who deals only with the Kernel. I just don't see it.

Maybe I'm missing something, but how is Linus Torvalds influencing the industry? What executive decisions has he made that made that changed everything?

Re:Influencial? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:43 · Score: 0

The part where he wrote Linux might have something to do with it, but that's just pure speculation.
Re:Influencial? by kaiser423 · 2004-11-23 11:45 · Score: 5, Insightful

Maybe he's influential in that he provides a steady hand, and transparency for (nearly) all processes. You don't have to be some dynamite guy doing crazy things. Keeping a big ship steady is a big job, and commands respect. When he talks, people listen. He's not going to bullshit anyone. I guess he's influential, because he doesn't overly use his influence, gaining him more respect, and more influence. Mutually reinforcing cycles.
Re:Influencial? by quamaretto · 2004-11-23 11:49 · Score: 5, Insightful

Maybe I'm missing something, but how is Linus Torvalds influencing the industry? What executive decisions has he made that made that changed everything?

Linux is the kernel driving the most common Unix implementations right now. The Linux kernel project in high use on inexpensive hardware is what has largely fueled the Unix culture for the last 5-8 years, and has caused Microsoft (Via it's campaign of FUD) and Apple (By adoption of Unix as an underlying OS, disputable but possible), as well as Unix vendors, to sweat and improve to compete with a technology that is highly useful and completely free. And surely there are other important people behind this movement; but the most prominent one is Linus.

--
*is run over by rotten tomatoes*
Re:Influencial? by imr · 2004-11-23 12:06 · Score: 1

Maybe I'm missing something
You're missing the fact that he is a person and every other "influence" in your comment, Firefox, KDE, Gnome, are entities.
And such articles writers don't understand that the community driving a project is more important than its leader(s), and as such tries to find the person that embodies all of them. And fail of course.
And this is true to the rest of the persons they cite.
What is really important tho' is that Mr Torvalds has shown every time he could that he perfectly knew that.
Re:Influencial? by Jameth · 2004-11-23 12:09 · Score: 4, Interesting

The point is that, as a single individual, he has astounding control over that one thing: Linux. And that one thing, Linux, has an astounding amount of influence in the world right now.

Linux is essential to IBM's current marketing strategy. That means Linus has influence on IBM's marketing and marketshare. Linux is MicroSoft's top threat. That mean's Linus is influential in the competing with one of the top companies in the world.

Cities and countries are talking about switching over to Linux (and I don't mean just open-source software in general). That mean's Linus is influential with many governments.

Novell has a lot riding on Linux. That mean's Linus is influential with the future of Novell. RedHat, Apache, MySQL, KDE, Mandrake, and many other organizations and communities have their intrests tightly tied with Linux's results. That means Linus is influential with those organizations.

Groups like Debian base some of their decisions on what does and does not go into Linus's kernel tree, which means Linus is influential with everyone who is a part of those groups.

Although his influence in any one place is small, Linus has a very large influence overall.
Re:Influencial? by mnmn · 2004-11-23 12:25 · Score: 1

You do admit opensource software in generial is influential. Its slowly replacing AIX, Solaris, and eventually Windows. Certainly more influential than Microsoft itself.

So whats common in all Opensource software beside being opensource? Most of it is developed and run on Linux. FreeBSD's development, a few will argue, is pushed by Linux's success, not to mention the array of software that was developed for Linux and is then compiled on BSD and friends.

Linux itself as the most popular OS in two parts, the kernel and the GNU tools. The quality of these two supports ALL the applications, and had Linus done a much worse job, these applications would have suffered and the industry not paid attention to it. So the Linux kernel and GNU tools are arguable the two most important pieces of software in the IT industry, slightly more 'influential' than Windows, which would be a close third (to put things in perspective, Linux's development is influencing Windows' development more than Windows development influencing Linux's).

Between Linux and GNU, GNU is controlled by a larger number of people, each person becomes less 'influential' than he would be if there were fewer people. Linus alone finally controls what gets into the kernel, which concentrates the development process to one man. Thats what makes him critically important, but not more important than the sum of Linux's developers.

--
"Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
Re:Influencial? by CAIMLAS · 2004-11-23 13:30 · Score: 3, Insightful

Maybe I'm missing something, but how is Linus Torvalds influencing the industry? What executive decisions has he made that made that changed everything?

Well, for one, he's benevolent. Granted, he doesn't have money dealings, but he is incredibly good at dealing with the feelings and emotions of the people involved. He doesn't anger people (overtly), and he manages to walk away with more friends than enemies.

If more corporate executives were to do this, the whole of business ecology would be much better, we'd have more employment, less offshoring, better wages, and less hours we'd need to work.

--
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
Re:Influencial? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 13:34 · Score: 0

Sorry, I've got to call bullshit on this one:

>The Linux kernel project in high use on inexpensive hardware is what has largely fueled the Unix culture for the last 5-8 years...

That title rightfully belongs to Solaris, I would think.

>...and Apple (By adoption of Unix as an underlying OS, disputable but possible)

How about "patently ridiculous"? What information do you have to indicate that Linux was a option or even an influence when Apple chose BSD?

>to sweat and improve to compete with a technology that is highly useful and completely free.

If you've ever even touched a box with more than two CPUs, you'd know that this is completely backwards. Linux is sweating to match the capabilities that commercial Unixes have had for years. The primary advanatage of Linux is that it runs on disposable commodity hardware and is good enough for most tasks formerly served by the commecial Unixes and considerably better than Windows.

>*is run over by rotten tomatoes*

And rightfully so. Toss a couple at the guys who modded you insightful while you're down there.
Re:Influencial? by jlleblanc · 2004-11-23 14:12 · Score: 1

>...and Apple (By adoption of Unix as an underlying OS, disputable but possible)

How about "patently ridiculous"? What information do you have to indicate that Linux was a option or even an influence when Apple chose BSD?

In "Just For Fun", Linus recounts the time Steve Jobs tried to woo him to work on the new version of MacOS and drop Linux.

-Joe
Re:Influencial? by quamaretto · 2004-11-23 14:54 · Score: 1

1: I wouldn't have a real good grip on how much Solaris had to do with it, except that Solaris hasn't been targeted at bottom shelf PC hardware and challenging the Windows desktop, until very recently. I didn't start messing with Solaris on a P200 2 years ago, I started messing with Mandrake. I haven't purchased Solaris licenses for the 4 or 5 machines that would otherwise be running Linux. Solaris probably wouldn't run with full hardware support on my laptop and I'm not interested in bugging Sun to see if maybe they'll add that to the next version. It may be some kind of deity wherever you work or go to school, but the rest of us don't pay for what we don't need, regardless of whatever spiffy features it has that make it *oh so much* better than Linux.

2: I believe another reply has addressed this, but since you are not aware, Apple partially sponsored a Linux kernel/Mach kernel system called MkLinux that still runs on old Mac hardware. This sounds very much like an "option or influence" related to Apple's adoption of a hybrid BSD/Mach microkernel for their new OS. (MkLinux)

3: I didn't say Linux was/is better, I just said it forced everyone else to improve. By analogy, to help you grasp what I'm saying: If someone was giving away brand new Chevy Cavaliers to anyone who asked, how many people would run out and buy a luxury car instead? Only those who really, really, really want or need them.

4: I'd be more likely to toss them at anyone who modded up an anonymous coward.

--
*is run over by rotten tomatoes*
Re:Influencial? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 15:16 · Score: 0

How can you state that the kernel was and is not the influential drive that revived the open source movement and made it popular for others to start all these other open source projects. The kernel is the base on which those applications you mentioned were built upon. It was because Linux decided to GPL the kernel that made it possible to have a stable platform to write these applications.
It is the kernel that gets ported to other hardware platforms, from large mainframes to small real-time devices, and causing the industry in each sector to have to react to this new threat, from Sun and SCO to Palm and Wind River; or to reviving an aging IBM who can once again sell their "dinosaurs" and to become a big name in the computing world once again. In some of these types of environment, the applications you mentioned are not even used. It is the capabilities of the kernel such as low latency at one spectrum to high scale SMP at the other that matters in these cases.
Because of Linus' foresight and decision to graciously provide (and continue to provide) the world an open and free kernel where users do not have to pay some large corporation for a platform on which to develop software that threatens the business model of companies in the industry such as Microsoft. Because they know there are developers dumping their bug-ridden and expensive Windows environments to create applications for another environment, one the users control, not them, and where the base OS is a commodity so they would not be able to charge a ridiculous price for their offerings. So now they have to react by doing such unheard of things as having to offer huge discounts to some customers recently (and counting) or having to offer a stripped-down, cheaper version of Windows in a few countries. In this new enviroment, developers are free to control their own destiny because they can take this free kernel to add & develop new things on, such as Tivo, without waiting for some single entity to come out with features to support the hardware you need.
So these examples are some of the points you are missing and why, yes, the kernel is an influence on the computing industry, and Linus is deservedly so honored.
Re:Influencial? by beerits · 2004-11-23 16:16 · Score: 1

2: I believe another reply has addressed this, but since you are not aware, Apple partially sponsored a Linux kernel/Mach kernel system called MkLinux that still runs on old Mac hardware. This sounds very much like an "option or influence" related to Apple's adoption of a hybrid BSD/Mach microkernel for their new OS. (MkLinux)

I am not sure you can really make that argument. NEXTSTEP had a Mach/BSD kernel in 1980's, well before Linux existed. I guess you could argue that Apple's MKLinux experience might have been a plus factor for Next over Be, but I imagine that Jobs presence and the incomplete nature of BeOS were much, much bigger factors
Re:Influencial? by Spy+der+Mann · 2004-11-23 16:16 · Score: 1

What about his letter to the European Union about patents?

If that's not influencial, then I wonder what influencial means.
Re:Influencial? by Ohreally_factor · 2004-11-23 18:45 · Score: 1

In "Just For Fun", Linus recounts the time Steve Jobs tried to woo him to work on the new version of MacOS and drop Linux.

By itself, that doesn't mean anything. It's well known that Jobs likes to surround himself with the top talent, so he can subjugate them and crush their souls. =)

Besides, if Linus had actually gone to work for Apple, OS X would have been set back years, as Avie and Linus would have argued incessantly over microkernal vs. monolithic.

--
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
Re:Influencial? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 18:53 · Score: 0

Not speaking about the thousands of research centers , space agencies and universities that run Linux for their critical applications.

Other executives simply delegate technical responsibilities, while Linus is directly in charge.
By still being the main maintainer of Linux, Linus probably takes more responsibility on his own shoulders than anyone else in the industry.

This sole fact makes him a more respectable executive to my eyes than all other ones.
Re:Influencial? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 19:48 · Score: 0

> Well, for one, he's benevolent.

Hmm, benevolence? Nope, that doesn't make you influential.

> Granted, he doesn't have money dealings

Hmm.. lack of money dealings. Nope, not influential.

> but he is incredibly good at dealing with the feelings and emotions of the people involved.

So it Dr Phil. Influential? Nope.

>He doesn't anger people (overtly), and he manages to walk away with more friends than enemies.

Oh well, isn't that nice! I'm sure Trump would agree that makes an influential business person. NOT!
Re:Influencial? by NeedleSurfer · 2004-11-24 00:04 · Score: 1

I'll break it to you:

those polls of most influencial, most revered, most efficient, most appreciated, most whatever, are only there to draw eyeballs to the magazines that makes them, they wanted more Linux type in their readership, juts name Linus Torvald influencial (sorry for the coke poppping out of my nose...) and a drove of Linuxheadz will go to your site, plus you will probably get the approval of such influencial site as Slashdot, Ars Technica or any Linux mag/website, which will greatly augment the number of clicks to your site, which will augment the number of visit per day, which will augment the amount you ask for publicity (which is sold by the eyeball...), plus, if those geek are on your side you do get some geek-cred and more subscribtions...
Re:Influencial? by quamaretto · 2004-11-24 01:27 · Score: 1

Yes, I would give Apple's acquisition of NeXT and Steve Jobs (Or vice-versa :) as the primary, direct reason for Apple's sudden foray into Unix-like systems and open source components. That might not have happened, or might not have happened as quickly, if it were not for a new rival (Linux) that was loosely threatening Apple's mindshare. For a direct example of this, see In The Beginning Was The Command Line by Neal Stephenson, in which he (a long-time Mac user) switched over to Linux from Mac. (See also, for emphasis, his recent review stating that he's moved to Mac OS X.)

Again, I'm just saying that GNU/Linux systems have been a major player to beat in a market where everyone else is charging cash money for the OS or the specialized hardware. But your point is taken that Linux was not a direct reason behind OS X.

--
*is run over by rotten tomatoes*
Re:Influencial? by o'reor · 2004-11-24 02:23 · Score: 1

Influencial means you need spelling lessons.
Influential, on the other hand, means " Having or exercising influence."
Torvalds may be influential in the world of technology, but that influence is still to be proved in the world of IP business, politics and patent laws. After all, even *I*, Joe Shmoe, have written to my minister of Industry (in France) to express my concern about the patent laws. And all I got back was a lousy letter telling me not to worry, because pure software patents are still an impossibility according to them. I call bullshit on that, but what can I do ?
So unless Linus gets a different answer, I will question his influence on the political world. Bill Gates, on the other hand... *sighs*

--
In Soviet Russia, our new overlords are belong to all your base.
Re:Influencial? by Tough+Love · 2004-11-24 02:36 · Score: 1

He doesn't set trends. He doesn't guide where the industry is going.

Nonsense. He changed the whole software industry, forever.

--
When all you have is a hammer, every problem starts to look like a thumb.
Re:Influencial? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 03:36 · Score: 0

Steve Jobs was well into adoption of UNIX before Linux started the kernel -- he started NEXT, which is what became OSX and the Apple management team.

disputable, yet possible, and very improbable.
Re:Influencial? by ph1ll · 2004-11-24 06:52 · Score: 1

Linus Torvalds is the most influential executive because while other executives can be fired/ousted by shareholders/face a boardroom putsch, Linus will always maintain control over the Linux kernel.
Period.

--
--- "We've always been at war with Eastasia."

Re:Shut the fuck up by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:40 · Score: 0

I have a wife and 1.5 kids you insensitive clod. Also, I'm not pasety :-)

Is he, really? by northcat · 2004-11-23 11:44 · Score: 4, Insightful

Is he really the most influential executive? It is not a list of the 'best' executives or the most popular executives. It is a list of the most influential executives.

Awesome quote by ghideon · 2004-11-23 11:45 · Score: 5, Insightful

On most days, he toils before a glowing terminal, playing his keyboard like a baby grand, not much different from his early days conceiving the kernel in Helsinki back in 1991. But now Torvalds orchestrates thousands of Linux developers distributed around the globe, synthesizing and arranging the bits into the masterpiece that disrupted the software establishment, crippling Sun, reviving IBM and giving Microsoft a taste of mortality.

Certianly a great number of supporting applications helped, but I wonder where the OSS movement would be today with the Linux kernel.

Re:Awesome quote by Fallen+Andy · 2004-11-23 12:08 · Score: 3, Insightful

Probably nowhere if RMS hadn't tilted at windmills.
(To be honest, that leap of courage still scares me
even today, although I like him believe in the right of a programmer to have source (responsibly)). Don't ask how much UCSD p-system
source I once had lying around (probably more than
Softech or Pecan... (grins)).

We all thought RMS was stark staring mad. But what a beautiful madness. I hope I get struck by the same disease one day when I'm mildly less uncomfortable...

Sadly, back to the .NET grind.

But, seriously Linus the Executive. Now penguins might look like they wear suits, but I imagine Linus hates the idea of justifying something to a banker... (cue oblig John Cleese).

In any case the BSD movement was there and would have happened (see DDJ onwards). But possibly not
quite the same way.

I hope Linus writes a thoroughly beautiful "no I don't want an OBE" speech and posts it to them.

Given Linus's literary skills that will be a fun read...
Re:Awesome quote by mnmn · 2004-11-23 12:30 · Score: 2, Funny

Certianly a great number of supporting applications helped, but I wonder where the OSS movement would be today with the Linux kernel.

The OSS movement would be exactly where it is now, since the Linux kernel exists.

Hmm I wonder what would be happening now if the pope was alive.

--
"Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky
Re:Awesome quote by Jeff+DeMaagd · 2004-11-23 12:38 · Score: 3, Insightful

I wonder where the OSS movement would be today with the Linux kernel.

You mean without the Linux kernel?

Um, wouldn't we be using BSD?
Re:Awesome quote by syousef · 2004-11-23 12:41 · Score: 1

Certianly a great number of supporting applications helped, but I wonder where the OSS movement would be today with the Linux kernel.

Using the BSD kernel? Or onto another operating system under the open source banner. Don't get me wrong the Linux kernel is a great piece of work but don't fool yourself the time was right and give or take 5 years it was going to happen.

No one's work is irreplaceable. Even scientific discoveries and inventions often end up being made by more than one person at around the same time, because the knowledge and circumstances of the times are the same.

--
These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
Re:Awesome quote by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 13:12 · Score: 0

We'd all be typing "ps eaf" instead of "ps aux" and wishing God would strike us dead.
Re:Awesome quote by archen · 2004-11-23 13:22 · Score: 1

As a BSD user I'd say it's certainly better off that Linux came along. Linux is just a kernel, and as such allows a Linux distro to be a full fledged playground as far as the system goes, allowing for a lot of customization - it's also why so many distros are a total mess. I wonder if BSD would have the simplicity and elegance that it does if it had so many people constantly trying to screw with everything. RPM for BSD? I don't even want to go there.

But then again maybe someone would have just forked a BSD kernel and stuffed it in the place where the Linux kernel sits and we'd still have Linux, just not started by Linus. Guess we'll never know.
Re:Awesome quote by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 13:28 · Score: 0

playing his keyboard like a baby grand

Your not a programmer, are you.
Re:Awesome quote by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 13:33 · Score: 0

Probably nowhere if RMS hadn't tilted at windmills.
(To be honest, that leap of courage still scares me

The great stand on the shoulders of the great, and we shelter from the rain beneath them.

Ralph Nader takes a stand in politics like RMS did in software in the sense that no sane person thinks he has a chance.

Do slashdotters know the character that "tilted at windmills"? Do they know he was crazy? Do any of us know what it takes to start an impossible dream for good, a quest, and follow it no matter how far?
Re:Awesome quote by twitter · 2004-11-23 13:33 · Score: 2, Insightful

You mean without the Linux kernel? Um, wouldn't we be using BSD?
We'd probably all be hurding and it would be the most advanced kernel on the planet.
In free software it does not matter, does it? What gets implemented one place is free to move around.

--
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
Re:Awesome quote by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 13:41 · Score: 0

To dream the impossible dream,
To fight the unbeatable foe,
To bear with unbearable sorrow,
To run where the brave dare not go.

To right the unrightable wrong,
To love pure and chaste from afar,
To try when your arms are too weary,
To reach the unreachable star.

This is my quest,
To follow that star --
No matter how hopeless,
No matter how far.

To fight for the right
Without question or pause,
To be willing to march
Into hell for a heavenly cause.

And I know if I'll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will be peaceful and calm
when I'm laid to my rest.

And the world will be better for this,
that one man scorned and covered with scars
still strove with his last ounce of courage.
To reach the unreachable star.

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go.

To right the unrightable wrong
To be better far than you are
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star.

This is my quest, to follow that star,
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To be willing to give when there's no more to give
To be willing to die so that honor and justice may live

And I know if I'll only be true to this glorious quest
That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To reach the unreachable star.
Re:Awesome quote by baquiano · 2004-11-23 17:45 · Score: 1

Um, wouldn't we be using BSD?

No, we would be using Minix.

--
You're bound to be unhappy if you optimize everything. --Donald Knuth
Re:Awesome quote by Exxxodus · 2004-11-24 00:15 · Score: 1

Certianly a great number of supporting applications helped, but I wonder where the OSS movement would be today with the Linux kernel.

Probaly right where it is.
Re:Awesome quote by chthon · 2004-11-24 01:45 · Score: 1

MURTL ?
Re:Awesome quote by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 04:40 · Score: 0

+4 insightful?

The mods must be much than I am, because I can't make any sense at all of the above post.

It's an incoherent mess of unconnected statements and factoids.. Weird.

Re:Shut the fuck up by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:47 · Score: 0

Too bad I can't post a screenshot, it would show that it is not dinnertime yet :p

I wish I had a basement! I'd string up all sorts of gadgets and wires and things, and I would be happy ;-)

Sure, OK. Whatever... by Saeed+al-Sahaf · 2004-11-23 11:48 · Score: 5, Informative

Yes, sure. Whip out a dictionary and quote away.

But when most people think about what an "executive" is, running a company, or being high up in the managerial food chain in terms of running a company, that is what most people think of.

Without question, Mr. Torvalds is some kind of executive, but his duties differ by miles from what most executive like Ballmer / Gates, and all the rest of 'em do.

Isn't whipping out a dictionary and quoting verbatim a little antagonistic?

--
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck

Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by JanneM · 2004-11-23 11:54 · Score: 5, Funny

Isn't whipping out a dictionary and quoting verbatim a little antagonistic?

antagonistic

\An*tag`o*nis"tic\, Antagonistical\An*tag`o*nis"tic*al\, a. Opposing in combat, combating; contending or acting against; as, antagonistic forces.

No.

--
Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:14 · Score: 0

Without question, Mr. Torvalds is some kind of executive, but his duties differ by miles from what most executive like Ballmer / Gates, and all the rest of 'em do.

Well, it's unfortunate that Microsoft is run by non-technical people. But there are also technical executive positions, and what Torvalds does falls into one of those.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:25 · Score: 0

aw, my side. mod parent up.

I would if I had mod points, maybe that's why I have none..
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by winkydink · 2004-11-23 12:51 · Score: 0

Yes, most people would think "...running a company, or being high up in the managerial food chain..."
but
this is slashdot where most people just want to try and impress you with how smart they are and how smart you aren't. The geek version of a pissing contest.
Yes, Gates & Ballmer have far different jobs than Linus. But you forget, short of Linus being caught in bed with a dead girl or live boy, he can do no wrong on /.

--
"I'd rather be a lightning rod than a seismometer." -Ken Kesey
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by hachete · 2004-11-23 12:51 · Score: 1

Yeah, let's not forget what sort of executive Balmer is:

http://www.ntk.net/ballmer/mirrors.html

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/18/ballmer_ li nux_lawsuits/

I'd say that linus is the JFK of "executives" in comparison.

h.

--
Patriotism is a virtue of the vicious
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:55 · Score: 0

If I was Linus I would be insult to be called an Executive.

Executive - Someone willing to sell their own family for financial gain. A person without morals. [Note - This excludes my boss ;)] Able to kill a puppy and goes to church on Sundays
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by kaiocool · 2004-11-23 12:56 · Score: 1

Isn't whipping out a dictionary and quoting verbatim a little antagonistic? Actually, I thinking whipping out a gun or a genital is antagonistic.... just my thoughts... AND WHOOHOO LINUX!
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by opos · 2004-11-23 13:13 · Score: 5, Insightful

Seems to me that the issue here is not what most people think, but rather what actually is. The quoted dictionary definition is a rather precise definition and the Linux Kernel group of developers surely qualifies as an organization. What is missing from your "most" perspective is that neither Linus nor Linux are "most" in any manner of speaking. Rather, Linus and Linux reflect the leading edge of a paradigm shift in software development - where company boundaries are blurred.
Within this frame of reference, a company is the residual of the past software development paradigm and the organization is a step in a new software development paradigm.
That Torvalds duties differ by miles from that of Ballmer and Gates is a sign of genius - Linus can manage an open source development organization without the traditional management hierarchy that is managed by Ballmer/Gates and all the rest of 'em.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by idlemachine · 2004-11-23 13:29 · Score: 1

Isn't whipping out a dictionary and quoting verbatim a little antagonistic?
Isn't the real question more to do with why you find the truth to be antagonising?
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by magefile · 2004-11-23 13:37 · Score: 1

I'd say that linus is the JFK of "executives" in comparison.

Really? When's the video game coming out? </excited-gamer>
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 13:49 · Score: 0

No, the title does not have to apply only to a company. For example:
President Bush is currently the Executive in Chief of the United States
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Saeed+al-Sahaf · 2004-11-23 14:33 · Score: 1

By the way, this is not an attempt to insult Linus. Really, he walks on water.

--
"Who are in control, they are not in control of anything - they don't even control themselves!" - Glen Beck
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 16:16 · Score: 0

What bothers me highly in most of these posts is the use of the word "paradigm". Has anyone else noticed it's almost a catch word now on slashdot. Quite annoying.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by ScrewMaster · 2004-11-23 17:35 · Score: 3, Funny

I think he meant plagiaristic.

--
The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Ohreally_factor · 2004-11-23 18:26 · Score: 0

short of Linus being caught in bed with a dead girl or live boy, he can do no wrong on /.

If the body of the dead girl or boy had open sores, we'd find a positive way to spin it. =)

--
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Ohreally_factor · 2004-11-23 18:30 · Score: 0

LOLOL!!11

Balmer: RELOADED

How hard would it be to whip up a flash game, using the monkey dance footage and a cross-hair sprite?

--
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by veg_all · 2004-11-23 21:26 · Score: 1

I think he meant plagiaristic.

Oh, Saeed? She's not finished with the operation yet, which is why she still reads slashdot, but it would be more appropriate to use the masculine subjective: "he."

--
grammar-lesson free since 1999. (rescinded - 2005)
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by DataCannibal · 2004-11-23 23:19 · Score: 2, Interesting

"But when most people think about what an "executive" is, running a company, or being high up in the managerial food chain in terms of running a company, that is what most people think of."

Is that why Sales and Marketing drones always give themselves a title with "executive" in it ?

e.g. Key Account Executive.

and usually where, I come from, executive when applied to a bus, means only that it has a toilet in.

e.g Smith's Executive Travel

which usually contains a load of drunken footy fans.

--
No but, yeah but, no but...
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Vulcann · 2004-11-24 00:40 · Score: 1

Without question, Mr. Torvalds is some kind of executive, but his duties differ by miles from what most executive like Ballmer / Gates, and all the rest of 'em do.
Yeah I for one can't imagine Linus doing the Balmer monkey dance shouting "developers, developers, developers, developers!"
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Thing+1 · 2004-11-24 01:05 · Score: 1

That Torvalds duties differ by miles from that of Ballmer and Gates is a sign of genius - Linus can manage an open source development organization without the traditional management hierarchy that is managed by Ballmer/Gates and all the rest of 'em.

I believe that we will see more of this as time goes on. With the coming of nanotechnology, we won't need companies backing projects since the "workers" in the projects will not need an income, as they will be able to replicate any material goods (including steaks and Corvettes). So there will be a lot more projects, not just software, in which the "organization" is very loose and geographically spread out.
I think Torvalds is most definitely on the leading edge of a complete shift in the fundamentals of what it means to "work." I think it's really cool that we're seeing the beginning of a nanotechnological society several years before we actually have full-blown nanotech.

--
I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 01:07 · Score: 0

Nonsense. He cited his source. Look up plagiarism while you've got the book out. ;)
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by szobatudos · 2004-11-24 01:47 · Score: 1

Is there such thing as plagiarism on the web?
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by berbo · 2004-11-24 03:31 · Score: 1

Personally I'm agnostic on the whole 'dictionary' issue.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Erik+Hollensbe · 2004-11-24 04:30 · Score: 0

Oh get off your Star Trek utopia kick. This is the real world.

We have the internet, a high-powered communication tool, levelling barriers to anonymity and such, and with all the money behind it people are still fighting over fucking food in africa.

Nanotech, if it ever comes forth, with be fucking expensive for at least 50 years, and won't be ubiquitous for at least 200 if history is any indicator.

And by that time, someone will be doing software better than our buddy linus, or the old gold standard will still be working like it has for hundreds of years - investors who think and laborers who work. Some would say that OSS has only done the difference of putting the power in the laborers, has not changed anything else.

All I'm saying, is that it's not surprising that big backers of the OSS movement are Anarchists (Socialist Libertarians), given their focus on power in labor.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by doublem · 2004-11-24 05:30 · Score: 1

Linus can manage an open source development organization without the traditional management hierarchy that is managed by Ballmer/Gates and all the rest of 'em.

I'd argue that all Balmer and Gates do is manage that "traditional management hierarchy" and they would consider the kind of interaction that Torvalds is so good at to be beneath them. They'd consider it working with "Grunts" or "Underlings"

This is, in my eyes, a significant sigh of Linux riding the wave of new technology and ideas, while Balmer and his ilk are more interested in maintaining the status quo than in evolving.

The candle manufactures are attacking light bulbs as best they can.

--
"Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by cHiphead · 2004-11-24 05:33 · Score: 1

Actually I believe it is you that is ending up the antagonist for this thread. But I can't quantify that without looking it up and this is /. where u just DONt look things up. Whats wrong with you people? ;)

That said, Linus Tovalds is most definitely an executive, however, the biggest difference between him and Gates/Ballmer/etc is that he actually WORKS for a living, instead of sitting on his ass playing with investment and accounting reports and reviewing 'industry reports' and pretending like (to quote another famous rich MORON) 'its hard work'.

Although if I was Gates/Ballmer, I'd probably spend a good amount of my day just rolling around in $100s and laughing at the people poorer than me, too.

--

This is my sig. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by ccp · 2004-11-24 06:01 · Score: 1

But when most people think about what an "executive" is, running a company, or being high up in the managerial food chain in terms of running a company, that is what most people think of.

Congratulations, nice troll!

But just the same, most people are wrong, the original poster is right.

Cheers,

Carlos Cesar
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 08:58 · Score: 0

That was funny :)
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Thing+1 · 2004-11-24 12:35 · Score: 2, Interesting

Star Trek utopia kick? Sure, whatever, vitriol back at you for thinking inside the box.
Full-blown nanotech will be here in less than 20 years. It is not going to creep up on you: it'll be here all of a sudden. Once one assembler is created, it'll be less than a year that an organization takes it upon themselves to provide a "replicator" to every human on the planet. (I don't particularly like Star Trek myself, but everyone knows what a "replicator" is; it's become like kleenex or xerox.)
There goes the food problem.
How is history any possible indicator of what's going to happen as we approach and pass through the singularity? How many singularities have we gone through in recorded history? (My guess is none but feel free to surprise me.)
OSS itself features highly in Christine Peterson's talks and works; the Foresight Institute is aptly named. As we start designing nanocritters, we're going to want the ability to share them. Putting them under the GPL or similar open-source license would ensure that others can benefit from them, add to them, and share them with others.
Anyone can build an STL (scanning tunnelling microscope) for about $300. Although this moves atoms around slowly, you just need to move enough to make an "arm" to help you move more, and then the arm builds a couple more arms, exponentially, until you have a box that looks like Rincewind's sapient pearwood luggage turned inside out.
Yes, it's currently a pipe dream. So were space flight and huge explosions at one point.

--
I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by Erik+Hollensbe · 2004-11-25 20:30 · Score: 1

You had me up until "will be here in less than 20 years".

By all means, keep reading your Esther Dyson.

I will keep reading my changelogs and believing it when I see it.

The John Stewart of Software by Chagatai · 2004-11-23 11:50 · Score: 4, Funny

I like how passive and below-the-radar Linus is in these types of interviews. The interviewers try to get him rialed up by mentioning topics in an almost antagonistic manner, and he just brushes them off. It reminds me of John Stewart on Crossfire:

So what do you think of the Bill Gates vibrator story?
"I don't"

So you give away this software totally for free? Yecch! I'd hate to have dinner at your house!
"I know, and you won't."

--
--Chag

Re:The John Stewart of Software by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 13:22 · Score: 0

OK, I am not John Stewart and I DO want to hear the Bill Gates vibrator story!
Re:The John Stewart of Software by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 16:37 · Score: 0

Who is John Stewart?

Man... when will it stop? by CrackHappy · 2004-11-23 11:52 · Score: 0, Troll

I really don't know where to sit in the debate about Linux/Linus and Slashdot. This site really seems to worship Linus Torvalds as a God of Computing, and any mention of him in a positive light always seems to turn up here.

Myself, I am a very happy Linux user, and I really admire Linus for what he's done. But it seems ridiculous the number of times that Linus is noted on this website. Sure, this is news for nerds, but come on, there are many other subjects of interest that are being ignored for the sake of bowing and scraping at the feet of the mighty Linus.

This is just a personal opinion of the editors choices in greenlighting certain posts vs. others, not of Linus himself. (flame on!)

--
1f u c4n r34d th1s u r34lly n33d t0 g37 l41d Capitalization really works: i helped my uncle jack off a horse

Re:Man... when will it stop? by killerface · 2004-11-23 12:08 · Score: 1

That's the point of slashdot, it's a bias opinion. who cares, for all you who complain about the editors you sure don't ever stop coming around
Re:Man... when will it stop? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:14 · Score: 0

Somehow, I think Linus would agree with you.

Re:Shut the fuck up by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 11:54 · Score: 0

Where I come from, flamebait ain't troll.

They forgot one! by LeiGong · 2004-11-23 11:54 · Score: 5, Funny

Where's Darl McBride in this?? How can they put in that hack Torvalds and leave out the man that's responsible for creating Linux?!? OUTRAGEOUS! Who's with me on writing a letter-to-the-editor???

</sarcasm>

Re:They forgot one! by CAIMLAS · 2004-11-23 13:40 · Score: 1

Ironically, McBride probably should be on that list for being influential - negatively influential, that is. He's the poster child for IP-based companies, which are an increasingly large part of 'corporate computing' business. He's drastically influenced corporate business culture, for the negative. Steve Balmer even jumped on his bandwagon, threatening to sue anyone that uses Linux.

--
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers

Oh, I get it.... maybe you will too... by 3seas · 2004-11-23 11:55 · Score: 4, Insightful

its about making linux (a kernal) enterprise ready and as a side effect causing real competition to happen again in the market place.

Or in other words, causing the others on the list to alter their ways..... hence most influencial...

and the other side of that coin..

Do the others on the list influence Linus and what he does?

probably not or very little...

Re:Oh, I get it.... maybe you will too... by burns210 · 2004-11-23 12:19 · Score: 1

My wish: I think Linux 3.0 should have the goal of creating, in the spirit SELinux, a Trusted Linux system.
Re:Oh, I get it.... maybe you will too... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 16:00 · Score: 0

Actually William Henry Gates III influenced Linus Torvalds a long time ago. Linus didn't like what he saw on the 386 computer he was using. He wanted something stable, reliable. Minix was what he wanted to improve, but the original author, Andrew Tannenbaum, didn't want to change it, but keep it simple enough to use as an operating systems teaching tool. The early days of Linux were reproducing the different parts of Minix with Linux. When Linux had the functionality of Minix, Linus started improving it (along with contributions from people on the net). That last part has been going on for about 13 years now. So Bill influenced Linus, or at least his poor software did.

The Right Kind of Hero by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:00 · Score: 2, Interesting

A few pages later, CRN explains their choice in naming Linus Torvalds the Big Kahuna of 2004:

"But ultimately, it was clear that the actions of the Linux technology community have had a ripple effect across the entire industry in the past year like no other. And no other single person represented the controversy over Linux and the open-source approach to software licensing than Linux Torvalds --- who took on his first commercial post last year on behalf of the Linux community.

In my eyes, what makes Torvalds so influential is his sheer charisma. . . .

Like it or not, the actions of Torvalds' proponents in the commercial world have clearly shaped the actions of IBM and Microsoft. . . . No matter the fate of Linux, you have to admire Torvalds' passion. Because, ultimately, he's right." (CRN print edition, "Op/Ed", 11/15/04, page 64)

The author, Heather Clancy, seems to have a crush on geeks! Woo! Woo!

Re:The Right Kind of Hero by bloodhawk · 2004-11-23 12:48 · Score: 0, Flamebait

That is an absolute bullshit reason to rank him as most influential. not bagging Linus, but what utter crap, you may as well say Bill Gates as what he has done has influenced what roads linux goes or Mcnealy as his actions change how MS and Linux compete. To claim someone as the most influential for there effect on competitors is crap.
Re:The Right Kind of Hero by idlemachine · 2004-11-23 13:35 · Score: 2, Insightful

To claim someone as the most influential for there effect on competitors is crap.
So, to paraphrase what you've wrote: the influence Linux has on dictating Microsoft's corporate strategy isn't influential enough for you?
If you affect something's behaviour, you're having an influence on it.
Re:The Right Kind of Hero by bloodhawk · 2004-11-23 14:04 · Score: 1

of course they have an influence on MS's corporate strategy, So does Sun and IBM. In fact I would think IBM is more of a concern than linux persee. By your reasoning MS has a huge influence on linux as much of what is done is done specifically to displace them and hence Billy should rank first by that reasoning.
Re:The Right Kind of Hero by be-fan · 2004-11-23 14:32 · Score: 1

MS has been content to maintain the industry at it's status quo. Linux has shook things up. I mean, you've got multibilion dollar companies now making millions a year with a product some kid dreamed up. You've got Microsoft naming Linux it's biggest threat. That's influence.

--
A deep unwavering belief is a sure sign you're missing something...
Re:The Right Kind of Hero by jonabbey · 2004-11-23 14:32 · Score: 4, Insightful

In fact I would think IBM is more of a concern than linux persee.

Oh, not true, I promise you. Remember when IBM was going it alone with OS/2? It was a joke, despite the product having some very significant technical strengths. Linux is important because millions of people, tens of thousands of businesses, and scores of governments think it's important.

Add in the fact that Linux undercuts Microsoft on price, the fact that it (along with the freely implementable IETF and W3C internet and web standards) frees people from Microsoft's network effects monopoly prison, and the fact that people get to choose how their own computers work without paying Microsoft for the lesser privilege of serfdom, and you've got a social movement to seriously rival Microsoft's commercial dominance.

Don't ever kid yourself that IBM is making Linux. Linux is the leverage that IBM needs to remain relevant against the terrible power of a network effects driven monopolist like Microsoft. And it's not just IBM.. all of the PC manufacturers here and abroad benefit from Linux interrupting Microsoft's pattern of claiming all profits in the PC world to itself.

In materials that leaked out of Microsoft during the federal cases against it, Microsoft strategists explained that their greatest worry was that a Compaq or an HP might simply decide to spend an amount equivalent to the hundreds of millions of dollars that Microsoft charged them per year and put it towards the development of a free alternative commodity OS in free conjunction with the other industry players, freezing out Microsoft and taking back the industry's profits.

IBM alone couldn't do this. Compaq or Dell alone certainly couldn't do this. What was required to make that happen was a commodity operating system that would not threaten any hardware vendor in the way that OS/2 did IBM's competitors, and which everyone could trust to be equally accessible to them all.

Linus did that, because of his programming skill, because of his use of Richard Stallman's GPL, and because of his management and social skills.

Linus and his followers have overturned a many hundred billion dollar industry, and he deserves as much recognition as can be given to him for that.

--
- jon

Ganymede, a GPL'ed metadirectory for UNIX
Re:The Right Kind of Hero by stor · 2004-11-23 15:21 · Score: 1

Linus didn't write the kernel to compete with Windows. It was more to do with the fact that he wanted a unix-like system on x86 and Minix didn't do the stuff he wanted it to and never would.

Linus doesn't seem to give a flying blue fuck what Microsoft do.

Sure there are plenty of people who *are* using Linux as a holy crusade against MS but Linus is not included in that group apparently.

Cheers
Stor

--
"Yeah well there's a lot of stuff that should be, but isn't"

Rock on by drg55 · 2004-11-23 12:01 · Score: 0

More power to Linus!

Executive?? Linus == stuffed suit?? by EmbeddedJanitor · 2004-11-23 12:02 · Score: 4, Funny

There goes geekdom. I hope he wore the Tshirt and pants with matching stains to prove he isn't a real executive.

--
Engineering is the art of compromise.

Re:Executive?? Linus == stuffed suit?? by jimmydevice · 2004-11-23 18:29 · Score: 0

Real programmers use octal not hex. PDP/8 forever!

Linus has (or had) millions by EmbeddedJanitor · 2004-11-23 12:05 · Score: 1

Read his (??auto??)biography. If I recall he scooped $20M just from just one Linux company's share options. The company gave Linus a bunch of share options in recognition of his efforts and he cashed up nicely when they went public. Good for him!

--
Engineering is the art of compromise.

Depends on how you define "influence" by EmbeddedJanitor · 2004-11-23 12:09 · Score: 1

Linux definitely has an impact and Linus definitely influences Linux. Just because he doesn't use nasty methods to influence (eg. ballmer/Gates style) does not make him less influential. Indeed Linus' influence is fairly hidden from view, making it all the more effective.

--
Engineering is the art of compromise.

You make Linus cry. ;-( by LeiGong · 2004-11-23 12:11 · Score: 1

come on man...rtfa ;)

Interview: What irritates you most about the software industry?
Linus: Bad spellers. Definitely...

Says who? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:14 · Score: 0

Thats all fine and dandy that someone called him that, but who are they? I personally have never heard of CRN. I looked around briefly on their website and could find nothing that would allow them to make that qualification any more than some bum who watches cnn every week.
Come on people its the the internet, it doesn't take a lot to put up a website that looks legit and offer opinions on current issue, it doesn't make it news. This is not a linux/windows issue its an issue that has existed ever sicne the press has. How legit is your informaiton

Ballmer by mnmn · 2004-11-23 12:16 · Score: 3, Insightful

The author goes to pains to find the good in Ballmer. Keywords are man of 'action' and 'energy', and these two words are repeated, with the failure of discovery of another virtue.

Key point is Ballmer's interest in 'innovation'. Goes in line with Microsoft's PR, sounds like there was no research on this man, just interview someone at Microsoft about its CEO.. they'll just repeat the company bottom line.

When I hear 'energy', for some reason reminds me of 'developers, developers, developers'. Makes me proud of Linus' laziness.

--
"Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you." -Nim Chimpsky

Re:Ballmer by Stevyn · 2004-11-23 16:37 · Score: 0

Hitler had "action" and "energy"
Re:Ballmer by Tharald · 2004-11-24 15:14 · Score: 1

Sorry, I am kinda confused...

Is this a joke, did I misunderstand, or do you mean to say there is something of a connection between Ballmer/MS and "innovation"? I thought it was an established fact that there is no innovation at MS and that Apple is MS's research department. And yes, this is a serious question. I do believe that MS has hardly ever done anythig "innovative". I guess what im asking is the classic "name me five Microsoft innovations, or even one revolutionary innovation".

Finally by techsoldaten · 2004-11-23 12:16 · Score: 1

Finally, you can be called an executive without actually being part of a corporation.

M
Executive Vice Presidentisimo

Re:Shut the fuck up by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:18 · Score: 0

YAAFM
PSTFUAD
TIA

On the other hand by RealProgrammer · 2004-11-23 12:18 · Score: 4, Funny

From TFI:

I don't think [being chief software architect of Windows] is something to be particularly proud of, and I don't think it is necessarily true. But if [Gates] wants the job description, hell, I don't think anybody would try to wrangle it away from him. I don't think Gates can lay claim to [lead programmer].

This is almost as good as saying Darl is on crack. Linus, as the accomplished veteran of alt.fan.warlords, apparently still knows phony hubris when he sees it.

[Linus toadie mode: off]

--
sigs, as if you care.

OT: Your sig by sconeu · 2004-11-23 12:21 · Score: 2, Funny

Real programmers have sixteen fingers.

I have 8. Does octal count? I also have two thumbs for when I need to use straight binary.

--
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.

Re:OT: Your sig by corbettw · 2004-11-23 12:37 · Score: 1

Real programmers have sixteen fingers.

I disagree. A real programmer has 1,010 fingers.

--
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.

They're smoking crack... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:34 · Score: 0

Couldn't resist quoting Linus :-)

Re:They're smoking crack... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 02:58 · Score: 0

Without a context, it's not a very notable or novel bit, is it?

Re:messed up list by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:35 · Score: 0

Anyone heard of STEVE JOBS?

Nope. Who is he, and what has he *personally* done to shape the world of computing this year?

What influence? you ask? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:37 · Score: 4, Insightful

What influence did Jesus of Nazarath have? He didn't create the Catholic Church. He founded no church. On his own, Christ would not have become the religious success that he is except for the Catholics, the Protestants, etc. If someone doesn't like what he said, they create their own brand of righteousness. So what influence does Jesus have. He's said that sin is wrong, but that hasn't stopped anyone, so where is this influence?

Don't get me wrong, I have respect for what he's done and that he's been able to do it, its far more then I can ever see myself being able to do and he deserves every praise for that, but most influential? That's really streching it.

MOD PARENT UP. Re:messed up list by biggyfries · 2004-11-23 12:38 · Score: 2, Funny

This does not sound like a Mac Zealot to me, and they do have a valid point. Steve Jobs has done quite a bit with Apple. Maybe not in the past year, but overall has turned the company around. So, he might not have made the list, but dont get angry at the poster.

Response from Linus by hayden · 2004-11-23 12:38 · Score: 1

"Me. Manager of the year.

Them's fight'n words!"

--
Nerd: Derogatory term typically directed at anybody with a lower Slashdot ID than you.

Most people think.... by oliverthered · 2004-11-23 12:41 · Score: 5, Insightful

What people think is very rarely the truth.

--
thank God the internet isn't a human right.

Re:Most people think.... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 02:51 · Score: 0

That's patently false.
Re:Most people think.... by jonadab · 2004-11-24 08:41 · Score: 1

> What people think is very rarely the truth.

This is true for most things, but when it comes to the meanings of words, the
whole point of words is to communicate with people -- so what people think
a word means does indeed very much matter. Torvalds is not an executive in
any normal sense of the word executive.

--
Cut that out, or I will ship you to Norilsk in a box.
Re:Most people think.... by oliverthered · 2004-11-24 17:48 · Score: 1

ok, two points.

it's a bit of a play on words, If you know something it it the truth, if you 'think' it then it probably isn't.

If everyone told me that 1+1=3 and yet i know that 1+1=2 I will tell them that 1+1 =2 no matter what they think, so I shall use the aggreed upon meaning of the word Executive no matter what the 24/7 Fox'es think.

--
thank God the internet isn't a human right.

Thats what I thought... by p.rican · 2004-11-23 12:50 · Score: 1

when I read the title of the article. My favorite part of the article was how the author succinctly described the impact Linux is having on technology:

...Torvalds orchestrates thousands of Linux developers distributed around the globe, synthesizing and arranging the bits into the masterpiece that disrupted the software establishment, crippling Sun, reviving IBM and giving Microsoft a taste of mortality.

gotta love it!

--

/. --"Demented and sad....but social" -Judd Nelson

Cathederal vs Bazaar by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 12:55 · Score: 0

The kernel is the cathederal, all the bits tacked onto the kernel are the Bazaar, all set out with stalls, called Redhat, Kde, Suse, Debian, Gnome, Mandrake, I could go on, but it would get boring after a while and yes of course Linus is the Pope, and he has his high priests and magicians as well.

People like Gates have a hobby of making money. People like Torvalds have a hobby of making good things. People used to think it was good idea to own other people AKA slavery (tm), all that has happened is, that they transfered the concept from owning people to owning ideas. Owning ideas is morally reprehensible, ideas want to be FREE.

the John Stewart thing goes for the furniture, too by jmason · 2004-11-23 13:09 · Score: 1

'His home is one of the newer ones in the neighborhood and is furnished casually, with a few pieces in Danish modern.'

Does that mean IKEA? ;)

Article... by Anonymous+Writer · 2004-11-23 13:10 · Score: 2, Funny

The coverage of Torvalds is 5 pages, including pictures, a written article, and a lot of interview material.

Is there a centrefold? :P

umm, google? by akb · 2004-11-23 13:16 · Score: 1

I don't see the names "Schmidt", "Brin" or "Page" in that list. What gives?

Re: huh huh uh huhh by DAE51D · 2004-11-23 13:24 · Score: 0, Offtopic

he said "penetration"... huh huh uh huhhhh

Who Woulda Thunk It by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 13:27 · Score: 0

that a website interested primarily in server technology would pick the instigator of the most popular OSS server technology as their "chief executive". Or that the poster wouldn't point this out. No sample bias there.

Number 1 Quote by Mad+Hughagi · 2004-11-23 13:50 · Score: 3, Interesting

"I guess you could call the belief in sharing of knowledge a 'philosophy,' but I just think it's a fact. It's what differentiates science from alchemy or witchcraft." --Linus Torvalds (2004)

--
UBU

Re:Number 1 Quote by geo_2677 · 2004-11-23 15:29 · Score: 1

The Best quote of the lot.. Q: ..... Bill Gates considers himself to be chief software architect of Windows A: ... I don't think [being chief software architect of Windows] is something to be particularly proud of... Boy oh Boy. Billy boy must be fuming now. :) Linus must the virus that has badly infected Bill Gates than his Windows. Frank and to the point. Thats whats has made Linus T the role model for many programmers in the Open..
Re:Number 1 Quote by Mad+Hughagi · 2004-11-23 16:15 · Score: 1

I guess it has more weight coming from him, but no doubt there's at least half a million /. accounts that would voice the same opinion.
The quote I posted concerns the privitization of ideas and the social aspect of sharing knowledge, a practice that is rarely observed to occur in the slovenly pig-pen that is the _industry_. This concept extends much further than the programmer community.

--
UBU

Re:the John Stewart thing goes for the furniture, by Cryptnotic · 2004-11-23 13:54 · Score: 1

I thought IKEA was Swedish.

--
My other first post is car post.

Re:the John Stewart thing goes for the furniture, by jmason · 2004-11-23 14:00 · Score: 1

it's kind of the same thing...

Watch out by daniel23 · 2004-11-23 14:04 · Score: 1

Carefull now, I say. MS is not the only player to start the attack with an 'embrace' move.

--
605413? Yes, it's a prime.

Re:Watch out by networkBoy · 2004-11-23 14:29 · Score: 1

did you just DOS me?
-nB

--
whois gawk date unzip strip find touch finger mount join nice man top fsck grep eject more yes exit umount sleep dump
Re:Watch out by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 14:40 · Score: 0

yes I did
Re:Watch out by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 16:50 · Score: 0

What is your IP?
or your hostname?
prove it was you in an e-mail and we can talk about what you did.
I have a bounty on your domain.
-nB

Memo to Ballmer by xgamer04 · 2004-11-23 14:39 · Score: 2, Funny

Pwned. Better luck next time, ass.

--
When you look at the state of the world, how can you not become a radical, liberal anarchist?

Repeat after me by MikeCapone · 2004-11-23 14:47 · Score: 1

Money is not everything.

--
Treehugger? Treehugger... Treehugger!

Re:Repeat after me by spir0 · 2004-11-23 16:09 · Score: 3, Funny

Money is not everything.

but I sure sleep better when I can afford to pay all my bills.

--
The reason girls and Windows users don't understand UNIX is because all the documentation is in Man files.

Doesn't BSD run Gnome or KDE? by msimm · 2004-11-23 15:08 · Score: 1

If so you already know what it would be like. :)
br The UI and its...inconsistencies is going to be one of the hardest things for any OSS projects I've seen is going to have to get over (if competing with more singularly visioned software is what you want to do).

--
Quack, quack.

Re:messed up list by stor · 2004-11-23 15:31 · Score: 2, Funny

Steve Jobs. Yeah he's been an awesome influence to the entire Apple community. To any member of the Apple community, this *is* the world, so I understand your confusion.

Cheers
Stor

--
"Yeah well there's a lot of stuff that should be, but isn't"

Put him on Mt Rushmore? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 15:59 · Score: 0

I'm not a hero-worship kind of guy, but I LOVE that photo of him they took partially from the side. He looks so frigging presidential - he has the look of a hero. He would easily fit in with the other heads on the side of the mountain.

Re:Put him on Mt Rushmore? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 03:00 · Score: 0

> I'm not a hero-worship kind of guy

You might want to change your mind about that, because if you're not hero-worhipping, then based on the rest of your post you're either a homosexual man or an ugly woman.

Good call by ewe2 · 2004-11-23 16:12 · Score: 2

Of course he's an influential executive. Executive in being the final arbiter of the most massive community-resourced code effort the planet has ever seen. Influential in that his role cannot be ignored just because he isn't paid obscene amounts or makes cute statements aimed at brokers. It's like something out of Lao-Tze, he has become the still point in an endlessly churning industry.

My God, the entire culture should take a leaf out of his book. Ownership does nothing. Sharing is what makes things happen. It is a practical philosophy.

--
insecurity asks the wrong question irritation gives the wrong answer

Re:Tic tock it don't stop by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 16:14 · Score: 0

The perpetual lip-service and cow-towing before Linus continues.

What's cow-towing? Towing cows? The correct word is "kowtowing", dimwit.

But when will.. by rob_squared · 2004-11-23 16:34 · Score: 1

But when will Linus be dubbed singing "like a rhinestone cowboy."

--
I don't get it.

Sabina by obdulio · 2004-11-23 17:00 · Score: 5, Insightful

Paraphrasing (?) an spanish poet called Joaquin Sabina:

Bill Gates is so poor that the only thing he has is money....

Linus may not be a rich man, but what he has (the respect, love and admiration of the computer world) is of much more importance than the billions that Gates has and the trillions he may have in the future....

--
PENAROL: Seras eterno como el tiempo y floreceras en cada primavera.

Re:Sabina by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 18:47 · Score: 1, Insightful

Bill Gates donates tens of billions of dollars to malaria and AIDS research, FYI. Whatever he does in the computer industry, he deserves respect for that.
Re:Sabina by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-23 19:46 · Score: 0

> the respect, love and admiration of the computer world

Um, which computer world is this? Torvalds is loved by a small subset of the computer world. Don't overstate the reality. And the guy claimed that companies are lying when they own your IP while you work for them. It's in your employment CONTRACT... you signed it! That's not a LIE.
Re:Sabina by LuSiDe · 2004-11-23 20:24 · Score: 2, Interesting

Afaik he has a nice sportcar (BMW?) and a villa in California. I don't think he's a poor fellow according to my definiton of rich.

--
WE DON'T NEED NO BLOG CONTROL.
Re:Sabina by joltguy · 2004-11-24 00:27 · Score: 1

This underscores the superiority of Steve Jobs is for being able to capture all of the above.
Re:Sabina by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 00:35 · Score: 1

You moderate this insightful? Ofcourse he will donate. How else will you be able to avoid paying taxes on the billions he has in his cofers?
Re:Sabina by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 01:55 · Score: 0

He was talking about SCO, obviously.
Re:Sabina by The+MESMERIC · 2004-11-24 19:57 · Score: 0

All Microsoft ever wanted was love.

netcraft. by mewphobia · 2004-11-23 18:08 · Score: 1

Nar it's cause netcraft confirms it, Steve Jobs is dying.

Re:messed up list by Ohreally_factor · 2004-11-23 19:09 · Score: 1

LOL you mean bastid =)

--
It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.

Re:Tic tock it don't stop by pandrijeczko · 2004-11-23 19:19 · Score: 2, Interesting

What did he do in 04 that influenced other business' in their executive decision process?

Exactly the same as he did in 03, 02, 01, etc., namely just acted as a controlling figurehead to the rest of the Linux community such that all those who contribute to Linux maintain a single focus.

Linux's penetration into the corporate environment is far more extensive than you actually believe it is - remember, there is no need to put a "Designed for Linux" sticker on every box that runs it and I'd be very surprised if you didn't own a car, handheld device, set-top box, etc. that didn't run Linux.

I myself work for a telecomms company and Linux powers our flagship telephony server products that power businesses with 10,000+ extension offices and huge call centres.

Very soon, we are going into the "carrier-grade" telephony market with Linux-based servers, previously an area occupied almost exclusively by HP-UX.

You also need to be aware that HP-UX and Solaris have been traditionally linked to very powerful, high-performance hardware platforms from HP and Sun to drive backbone Internet applications like Sendmail, Apache, BIND, etc. Linux runs all of these also with the added advantage that clustering and server farms provide equal power and resilience on much cheaper hardware.

Just because Linus doesn't stand up on stage with sweaty armpits shouting "Developers" over and over again, don't diss him - he has demonstrated that it is perfectly possible to lead from the back.

You should be more concerned that Carly "Angel Of Death" Fiorina comes in at number 7...

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Gentoo Linux - another day, another USE flag.

That should be GNU/Executive by ClosedSource · 2004-11-23 19:35 · Score: 2, Funny

according to RMS.

Re:That should be GNU/Executive by Anonymous Coward · 2004-11-24 03:03 · Score: 0

That's HILARIOUS.

No. Really. Ha.
Re:That should be GNU/Executive by arose · 2004-11-24 07:46 · Score: 1

Do you have any gnu jokes?

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Analogies don't equal equalities, they are merely somewhat analogous.

Yes, he is influential. by Kjella · 2004-11-23 20:39 · Score: 2, Interesting

Linux is influential, with ramifications through-out the whole computer software industry and probably beyond. I don't think anyone is questioning that, so we move to the second part, Linus' personal influence over Linux.

While Linus may not have control the way MS and Apple does over their software, from an external point of view Linus stands completely unchallenged. Linux is, like it or not, in most peoples' mind personified by Linus. Whatever he says or does with the kernel is considered an influential decision of where Linux is going.

And if you don't think Linux is the big talker, there's a lot of power in understatement. Like this quote: "Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect." Sounds as if he's a giant that accidentally stepped on an ant.

Kjella

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Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings

Apple Computers are for business by Per+Abrahamsen · 2004-11-23 21:37 · Score: 1

The only people I know who have an Apple computer at home, also use Apple at work. I strongly suspect that is the general trend.

For home, most people choose 1) what they have at work, or 2) something capable of web and email, or 3) something to play games on. For 2, everything works, but a PC is cheapest. For 3, PC has the games and game hardware first.

Re:Apple Computers are for business by cowbutt · 2004-11-23 22:27 · Score: 2, Insightful

For home, most people choose [... 2) something capable of web and email [...] For 2, everything works, but a PC is cheapest.
Depends whether you're costing the time necessary to fix silly hardware incompatibilities (that don't occur if you buy 100% Apple gear) or spyware/virus issues. This, of course, will be proportional to the skill of the user or their friends or children. ;-)
Right now, for any non-technical user who just wants a computing appliance, doesn't have technical skills or help available, and is in the market for a new machine, I'd recommend a Mac.
And I'm a PC-using Linux type, and have been since 1995. Works for me, but maybe not for everyone.
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Influence by example by Per+Abrahamsen · 2004-11-23 21:42 · Score: 3, Insightful

He has, by the example of his competent leadership, demonstrated that important business software can be developed under a free software license.

This has influenced the industry so that 1) it is much more likely to rely on free software (Linux and other), and 2) it is much more likely comtribute to, and to release software of its own under a free software license.

[OT] Dictionary Antagonism ... by torpor · 2004-11-23 21:50 · Score: 1

Isn't whipping out a dictionary and quoting verbatim a little antagonistic?

i would say, definitely no. it is because people are afraid of dictionaries that the literacy rate is so low.

have more respect for the actual definitions of words, and you may find your life becoming a lot richer for it ...

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; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --

Better analog would be company founder by jago25_98 · 2004-11-23 23:11 · Score: 1

which explains the respect. Executive is inappropiate for business founders and especially so when love istead of money is the goal.

Unlike (perhaps all) the others though torvalds power is very different to the usual executive power eh?

Most respected boss?

Anyone heard of a company as sensitive to the whole community as linux? (not retorical; I want to work there!)

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A blog I run for the wealth

Slashdot really annoys Linus by DeadSea · 2004-11-23 23:24 · Score: 1

Quote:

Q: What irritates you most about the software industry?
A: Bad spellers.

Sorry, CmdrTaco, you are part of the problem with the software industry.

Best quote - and its related to HARDWARE! by Demerara · 2004-11-24 00:58 · Score: 1

I don't do handhelds. If it doesn't fit in my pocket, it might as well be a real computer. And none of the handhelds are.

Typical Linus, iron fist in a velvet glove. Wonderful stuff. I was conflicted about this issue (whether or not to get a powerful handheld) but the belly laugh when I read this convinced me to keep computing on my desk (or lap) and keep the gadgets pocket sized.

Congratulations Linus on your deserved selection as most influential.

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Backward%20compatibility%20is%20over-rated

I'm so very sorry for this one... by thegnu · 2004-11-24 03:03 · Score: 1

plagiaristic

adj : copied and passed off as your own; "used plagiarized data in his thesis"; "a work dotted with plagiarized phrases"

No. And yes, I just HAD to post this. It's in my nature.

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Please stop stalking me, bro.

Those products are not influential. by jotaeleemeese · 2004-11-24 05:03 · Score: 1

That is the point....

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IANAL but write like a drunk one.

Oh I see.... by jotaeleemeese · 2004-11-24 05:13 · Score: 1

... if there is no profit or money involved then the same person demonstrating managerial capabilities all of the sudden lacks them all?

Give us a fscking break.

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IANAL but write like a drunk one.

Until the IP Czar takes control... by doublem · 2004-11-24 05:25 · Score: 1

For now, quoting is still fair use.

Of course, all bets are off when The Shrub's new IP Czar takes control, public domain is abolished and quoting becomes a "Terrorist Act" that gets you declared an "Enemy Combatant"

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"Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA

#exec by [rvr] · 2004-11-24 05:31 · Score: 1

bush: /bin/laden: Command not found

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Víctor R. Ruiz
rvr(at)blogalia.com

shift in software development ? by oliverthered · 2004-11-28 16:38 · Score: 1

I'd say shift in society.

P2P, blurred distribution.
The Internet, blurred countries.
OpenSource, blurred company definitions.
Working from home, blurred office space.

The problem is that there are an hell of a lot of fat cats (and governments) who don't want to see this kind of level playing field (it's not good for business), or maybe don't even realise whats happening.

Personally I believe that this kind of 'community' working approach is the only way to reduce waste to a sustainable level.

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thank God the internet isn't a human right.

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Torvalds Dubbed Most Influential Executive of 2004

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