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Torvalds Dubbed Most Influential Executive of 2004

Posted by michael on from the penguin-in-chief dept.

quamaretto writes "CRN has named Linus Torvalds the most influential executive of 2004, in the magazine's feature list of the top 25 executives of the year. For perspective, he is followed by Sam Palmisano of IBM and Steve Balmer of Microsoft. The coverage of Torvalds is 5 pages, including pictures, a written article, and a lot of interview material. Topics are business centric, including SCO, OSDL, and Torvald's personality in development and management."

14 of 262 comments (clear)

  1. Good to hear, but not surprising. by laughingcoyote · · 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.
  2. heh by Killjoy_NL · · 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)
  3. #exec Linus\ Torvalds by Shut+the+fuck+up! · · Score: 5, Funny

    bash: exec: Linus Torvalds: not found

  4. No Jobs? by Dixie_Flatline · · 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.)

  5. Love the interview by Dynastar454 · · 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.
  6. Awesome quote by ghideon · · 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.

  7. Re:Influencial? by kaiser423 · · 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.

  8. Sure, OK. Whatever... by Saeed+al-Sahaf · · 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
    1. Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by JanneM · · 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.
    2. Re:Sure, OK. Whatever... by opos · · 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.

  9. Re:Influencial? by quamaretto · · 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*
  10. They forgot one! by LeiGong · · 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>

  11. Most people think.... by oliverthered · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What people think is very rarely the truth.

    --
    thank God the internet isn't a human right.
  12. Sabina by obdulio · · 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.