Linus Torvalds For Nobel Peace Prize?

He deserves it by Yvan256 · 2009-11-20 04:38 · Score: 4, Funny

I come from 2051, in a timeline where Linux didn't exist. You don't want to hear about the Microsoft vs Apple netwar.

Re:He deserves it by tomhudson · 2009-11-20 05:01 · Score: 4, Funny

I come from 2051, in a timeline where Linux didn't exist. You don't want to hear about the Microsoft vs Apple netwar.

Yes, it was terrible, all those Windows machines loaded with malware, all trying and failing to attack anything non-Microsoft, until Apple ended it by buying what was left of Microsoft in 2018 in an all-stock deal of 100 Microsoft shares for 1 Apple share, plus the lint in Steve Jobs' bellybutton.
Now people's Windows machines work perfectly. Microsoft Windows - a product of Apple, Inc.
Re:He deserves it by MightyMartian · 2009-11-20 05:22 · Score: 5, Insightful

I tend to agree, though I wouldn't discount Linus that much. He wrote the first versions of the kernel and has been its guiding force ever since, so it's not just a matter of being some random guy in an age long gone. Still, the whole movement in which Linux blossomed was by and large Stallman's creation and initiative, and even though he's a bit loopy and can be a major prick, if anyone deserves it, it's Stallman.

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Re:He deserves it by PitaBred · 2009-11-20 05:22 · Score: 3, Insightful

...they work perfectly? So why are Apple products only #4 in reliability in this universe?

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Re:He deserves it by houstonbofh · 2009-11-20 05:38 · Score: 4, Insightful

If anyone, it should be Stallman, for writing the GPL, for starting the free software movement and spreading knowlege of the existence of free software and for explicitly backing a public cause, and basically dedicating his life to it. In comparison, Torvalds is just an above average software engineer/project manager, who doesn't care about the public good so much as writing good code and getting the credit.
That is the point. Stallman founded a religion, and Torvalds gave us a tool. Yes, you needed the religion first, but a lot more people were willing to work on the tool. That was the real tipping point for FOSS.
Re:He deserves it by Mike+Buddha · 2009-11-20 05:49 · Score: 4, Funny

Now people's Windows machines work perfectly. Microsoft Windows - a product of Apple, Inc.
...but they now cost 1000x more than they should and they only do what robot warlord Steve Jobs thinks you should be able to do.

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Re:He deserves it by Ash+Vince · 2009-11-20 05:53 · Score: 4, Insightful

The problem is that without Linus I have a feeling that Linux would now be where Hurd is. Sometimes the people who have the best ideas are not necessarily the best people to implement them.
Is there any reason they can't just give it to both of them?

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Re:He deserves it by hitnrunrambler · 2009-11-20 05:56 · Score: 3, Interesting

I come from 2051, in a timeline where Linux didn't exist. You don't want to hear about the Microsoft vs Apple netwar.
Yes, it was terrible, all those Windows machines loaded with malware, all trying and failing to attack anything non-Microsoft, until Apple ended it by buying what was left of Microsoft in 2018 in an all-stock deal of 100 Microsoft shares for 1 Apple share, plus the lint in Steve Jobs' bellybutton.
Now people's Windows machines work perfectly. Microsoft Windows - a product of Apple, Inc.
I come from a present where it's hard to convince people that greedy capitalist corporations are ruining everything good in the world, thank you for sharing the future with us. Maybe we can act now and change it.
Re:He deserves it by greyhueofdoubt · 2009-11-20 06:03 · Score: 3, Informative

Number 4 according to Squaretrade, a company that sells warranties on computers and is a direct competitor to Apple's Applecare.
Just saying.
fwiw, Consumer Reports consistently ranks Apple at the top or near the top in satisfaction, reliability, and tech support. I can't draw any overall conclusions of my own since most laptop failures I have seen among my friends (covering the gamut of manufacturers) have been a result of physical abuse. otoh a laptop's ability to take abuse without breaking is a big selling point for me.
-b

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Re:He deserves it by erko · 2009-11-20 06:21 · Score: 5, Insightful

That is the point. Stallman founded a religion, and Torvalds gave us a tool.
Really? Maybe you aren't aware of the tools Stallman wrote? Stallman wrote the first versions of gcc, gdb, emacs, etc.
So if you still want to oversimplify it, this is more accurate: Stallman created tools and created open source. Torvalds created a tool.
Re:He deserves it by Interoperable · 2009-11-20 06:41 · Score: 3, Interesting

Linux deserves a Nobel Peace Prize but I don't think that Linus does. If he were to receive one, it would as a figure to represent the Linux community on the whole. While I think that GPL and Linux have done a great deal that is in line with the goals of equality and global freedoms, I think that it has been an effort by a huge number of people. Linus started that and represents that, but at the end of the day, what he did was write and maintain a UNIX-like kernel. I don't think that the act of releasing that kernel under a free license constitutes an act worthy of a Nobel Prize.

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Re:He deserves it by ObsessiveMathsFreak · 2009-11-20 06:44 · Score: 5, Insightful

That is the point. Stallman founded a religion, and Torvalds gave us a tool.
No. It was Stallman who gave us the tool; the GPL. This licence is the magic ingredient that makes open source software possible. Without it, without Stallman's contribution, we'd still be stuck with mostly BSD style licences. Private companies would be mooching off and appropriating the work of FOSS programmers, people would be cynical about writing software for nothing, and we wouldn't have a fraction of the fantastic array of software we all have running on our desktops, including the Linux kernel.
We'd all be paying $500 per operating system, and our program suites would mostly consist of massively duplicated pay to use, single function programs or else expensively licensed monolithic program suites like MS Office. Programs provided by private companies with lots of scope to monopolise, little incentive to innovate, and with general contempt for their users. Ask yourself, how would you encode a CD in windows, how would you compile a program, what email client would you use if you couldn't use open source software?
This is what Richard Stallman rescued us from. Restrictive, expensive, bug ridden and often vindictive closed source software. Perhaps you do not like stances. That's fine. But you had best acknowledge that the reason you have a modern web browser to read this site with is largely down to the efforts he made probably before you were even born.

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Re:He deserves it by phantomfive · 2009-11-20 08:24 · Score: 5, Informative

You're looking for reasons to justify your viewpoint. The GP is right. In the old days, before the GPL became popular, independent programmers went the shareware route, not the free route. You don't remember the magazine articles and opinions that came out as free software became more popular, quite skeptical that it could actually work, and that was when it was already working. Sometimes someone has to come up with the idea and prove its viability before others will latch onto it. It was RMS who pushed the vision of free software, and others who caught on to the idea.

You are right (which I have to say, otherwise you will try to continue being argumentative) that the other developers deserve credit, too. Of course they do. RMS couldn't have done it alone. But there is a reason RMS is well recognized.

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Re:He deserves it by uncqual · 2009-11-20 09:29 · Score: 2, Informative

Apple has something of an advantage over notebook vendors such as HP, Acer, and Toshiba because Apple doesn't sell really low end notebooks.

CR's notebook reliability numbers are somewhat meaningless for comparing Apple to vendors which manufacture sub $500 notebooks. The low end notebooks have to cut corners which will reduce reliability (more plastic, less metal etc.). CR should really compare reliability of notebooks by vendor based on price (perhaps in two classes - $750 for base product).

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Re:He deserves it by maxwell+demon · 2009-11-20 11:01 · Score: 3, Insightful

Can you compile a Linux kernel without gcc?

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Re:He deserves it by AttillaTheNun · 2009-11-20 11:26 · Score: 4, Insightful

I'm not knocking Linus Torvalds' achievements, but I don't see the connection here.
Stallman set out with a vision and objectives (freedom of expression) that are consistent with the merits associated with the Nobel Peace Prize.
I'm not sure Linus' motivations were ever more than an itch to scratch to satisfy his own needs (the lack of a suitably available kernel). He has stated that if either the GNU or 386BSD kernels were available at the time, he likely would not have written his own. It just snowballed from there and he was a better project manager than Stallman in making it happen. The success of Linux may largely be attributed to Linus' technical skills as well as his dictatorial style, which may effective in managing a largely distributed open source project, but is hardly representative of the traits and merits of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Re:He deserves it by TheLuggs · 2009-11-20 23:45 · Score: 2, Interesting

You skip quite easily over the simple fact that both shareware and GPL are very much children of their time. Shareware was the way to go in an era without an massivly available internet. Development was done by either persons or small localized groups. Shareware was a way to get paid for your effort (mainly to pay for the distribution). With groing influence of internet the distance became less of an factor, and distribution got a lot cheaper. It was also a lot easier to get other peoples programs.
In a world without internet, and distribution by phoneline driven BBS, GPL wouldn't stand a chance. So you can also point to the internet as a large contributing force to GPL

Why not? by Xebikr · 2009-11-20 04:39 · Score: 5, Funny

I'm sure that at some point in his tenure as King of Linux he will do things worthy of the Nobel Peace prize. Let's just give it to him now to get it out of the way.

Re:Why not? by cayenne8 · 2009-11-20 05:14 · Score: 3, Interesting

Linux would definitely be more deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize that a couple of the last recipients that come to mind....
He actually has put something tangible together, and overseen it for years, as opposed to someone nominated recently before he had even done anything.

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Re:Why not? by Kryptonian+Jor-El · 2009-11-20 05:28 · Score: 5, Insightful

They'll give a Nobel Peace Prize to ANYBODY these days...just look at the last guy who got it... Don't flame, I like Obama a lot, but I'll be damned as to why he won a peace prize for stuff he is 'going' to do

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Re:Why not? by drakaan · 2009-11-20 05:35 · Score: 4, Interesting

I was hoping somebody would point that out. I'd just say that, if you can get an award for things that you're *going* to do, Linus should start telling people that he's going to work hard for world peace in version 3.8 of the kernel. It'd be a no-brainer!
For that matter...I'm working on version 6.0 of the linux kernel, which will not only end hunger, but make fusion-based power a reality and cure cancer. Who's gonna nominate me?

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"Murphy was an optimist" - O'Toole's commentary on Murphy's Law
Re:Why not? by Wonko+the+Sane · 2009-11-20 06:22 · Score: 2, Insightful

to top it off he could speak in real sentences !
He's a great speaker when he's reading sentences that someone else wrote. Listening to him speak without a teleprompter aren't nearly as impressive.
That still puts him ahead of the last president, who couldn't seem to talk with or without technological assistance.
Re:Why not? by ncc74656 · 2009-11-20 06:25 · Score: 2, Insightful

Obama was given the award because he's been trying to build bridges and strengthen diplomatic ties between nations that have been estranged...
...at the expense of solid relationships with our long-term allies. Considering with whom our interests as a country more closely align, do you think this is a good trade? I don't. I think he has a particularly deep hate for the Brits out of some misplaced loyalty to the Kenyan baby-daddy who spawned him, but he's giving the rest of our allies the finger to varying degrees as well.

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List his peace initiatives... by gbrandt · 2009-11-20 04:39 · Score: 2, Insightful

Perhaps we could better decide if we saw a list of Linus' global peace initiatives...

Gregor

Re:List his peace initiatives... by Monkeedude1212 · 2009-11-20 04:41 · Score: 5, Insightful

Lets see Obama's as well...
Re:List his peace initiatives... by MBCook · 2009-11-20 04:50 · Score: 4, Informative

He created a multinational project of cooperation between tons of people all over the globe and made a project that has helped change the computer industry and lower costs, making computing more affordable for everyone. Sounds good to me.
That's a lot better than saying you'll do things but not having done them yet.
He'll never win. The prize is very political, and I doubt they would give it to someone who isn't in their group of admired people. As a PR tool, it could be much more valuable to give it to someone else.
Are there better candidates? I'd certainly expect so. But look at the list of winners. While some are obviously good (Doctors Without Borders, The Dalai Llama) others are much more questionable.

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Re:List his peace initiatives... by MrHanky · 2009-11-20 04:53 · Score: 5, Funny

Since Obama got one for not being George W. Bush, Linus should get one for not being Theo de Raadt.
Re:List his peace initiatives... by tomhudson · 2009-11-20 05:07 · Score: 2, Funny

Since Obama got one for not being George W. Bush, Linus should get one for not being Theo de Raadt.
And we could give one to Hans Reiser for not being O.J. Simpson. Oh, wait a sec ...
How about giving it to both RMS and Linus?
Or for the lulz, Stallman and Palin. Can you imagine the two of them in the same room? The improbability is SO high that the universe might finally have to hork up a Higgs Bosun.
Re:List his peace initiatives... by sixoh1 · 2009-11-20 05:11 · Score: 3, Insightful

Nobel laureate would certainly be a good way to reward a man who has done something far more extraordinary than anything BillG or the Steve's ever did - without the benefit of a corporation (note MS needed IBM to be where it is) or a formal product (the Steve's SOLD hardware) and created a world-class operating system.
Not only that, he is still there, still writing code, corralling the cats and making progress in developing, instead of just cashing in.
This is in my not so humble opinion the ultimate leadership by example - and it can and has been applied to thousands of other projects. Richard Stallman may have "invented" open source - Linus made it real for everyone, from greedy businessman to naive undergraduate CS student.
Re:List his peace initiatives... by Maximum+Prophet · 2009-11-20 05:26 · Score: 4, Insightful

For normal humans that would be correct, but this Dali Lama is the reincarnation of the last 14 Dali Lamas.

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Re:List his peace initiatives... by msimm · 2009-11-20 05:29 · Score: 2, Interesting

Never say never. As computers become increasingly important in both emerging economies and first world economies his initial release of (and ongoing work on) the kernel under not just a free license, but an enforceably/perpetually free license has become a gift that in one way or another effects just about every computer user on the planet. Think about that for a second. It's become possibly one of the widest impacting acts of philanthropy in our history (with an amazing amount of people and companies now involved). This might not be the year of Linux on the Desktop (tm) but none-the-less, it's been a game changing event that has provided the tools necessary to create real technology to...well, everybody.

Of course a lot of people other then Linus deserve credit but as a figure head and a direct contributor of necessary technology his work seems perfectly appropriate to recognize. I'd say it's less a matter of if and more a matter of when (but it would be nice to see it happen in his lifetime).

And I'm sure I sound like a raving software hippie but I work in the IT industry and develop software as a hobby on my own. The ability to have access to the level of quality software we have today, at potentially ZERO cost (I don't need support licenses for my personal projects) allows me to experiment and develop technology that would have been cost prohibitive just a few years ago. Because of the open source movement software licensing doesn't limit technology and I don't think you have to be starry eyed to see how that might benefit...da da da-da...humanity.

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Re:List his peace initiatives... by QuantumRiff · 2009-11-20 05:36 · Score: 2, Informative

Hitler and Stalin have been nominated for the prize, heck, Hitler was time magazine man of the year!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Peace_Prize

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Re:List his peace initiatives... by drakaan · 2009-11-20 05:48 · Score: 2, Insightful

Nobel laureate would certainly be a good way to reward a man who has done something far more extraordinary than anything BillG or the Steve's ever did - without the benefit of a corporation (note MS needed IBM to be where it is) or a formal product (the Steve's SOLD hardware) and created a world-class operating system...
Agreed, but not a Nobel *Peace* Prize...

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Re:List his peace initiatives... by Anonymous Coward · 2009-11-20 06:19 · Score: 2, Funny

Since Obama got one for not being George W. Bush, Linus should get one for not being Theo de Raadt.
And we could give one to Hans Reiser for not being O.J. Simpson. Oh, wait a sec ...
How about giving it to both RMS and Linus?
Or for the lulz, Stallman and Palin. Can you imagine the two of them in the same room? The improbability is SO high that the universe might finally have to hork up a Higgs Bosun.
I hear that they were going to give one to RMS but he won't delouse his beard until they come up with a Free as in Freedom shampoo that he can build himself.
Re:List his peace initiatives... by gad_zuki! · 2009-11-20 06:26 · Score: 2, Informative

>Who's to say that as time went forward during his reign, things wouldn't have changed naturally and of their own course?
Michael Parenti has written extensively about pre-invasion Tibet. It was a harmful theocracy run on the feudal system. It wanst just "under-developed." Money, law, etc was dictated by monks. Serfs had few rights. It was a human rights nightmare.
I dont know why people who have a political interest in Tibet cant simply accept that all theocracies are terrible because its a terrible form of government. This one was no different. Even the Lama himself has said that if Tibet would be freed it would not be anything like the old oppressive state, but a Western-style government based on the SECULAR enlightenment. Funny how that works.
>Invading Tibet wasn't a move to "free" the people of Tibet, it was a move to seize the territory during a time of political instability.
Actually it was both. An idealistic revolution isnt going to sit there and have a feudal theocracy on its border, especially one with a mismanaged military that would be easy to take.

Linux Peace Prize? by Reason58 · 2009-11-20 04:40 · Score: 3, Insightful

There are real people making real change on this planet. While I like Linux as much as the next guy, this is not going to happen.

Re:Linux Peace Prize? by Jaysyn · 2009-11-20 04:55 · Score: 5, Insightful

Maybe not the Peace Prize, but I can see him getting the Economic Prize for Linux's economic impact on the business world & Internet.

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Re:Linux Peace Prize? by Penguinisto · 2009-11-20 04:58 · Score: 4, Insightful

Why not? I mean, sure Torvalds isn't exactly a Ghandi (who ironically never got one, IIRC)...
...but then again, look who else got one: Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Barack Obama - not as if these three gents had really done too much to earn it (okay, Carter brokered the Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement back in the 1970's which later fell apart, and did a lot of post-presidential negotiation work, but really... not much done by any of 'em - esp. compared to the likes of Martin Luther King Jr, FFS...)

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Re:Linux Peace Prize? by cupantae · 2009-11-20 04:59 · Score: 2, Insightful

I think it's not going to happen either, but it's interesting to think that if somebody managed to pull off a successful large scale OLPC-type venture involving Linux, it would be him or her to be considered for the prize. The truth is, the world is a lot better with Linux, even though the people who could really do with using it generally aren't. Apart from the fact that it allows so much to be kept from the corporate stranglehold, Linux is really the driving force behind the open source movement, which is a very real and significant thing. Who would have thought ten years ago that CodePlex was to come?
There should be more recognition for the people that are "behind the scenes" - the people without whom we couldn't have the big, headline-catching, landmark events that showmen get all the credit for. I think that's what is the desire in the article for someone who's not a politician getting the prize, although the argument wasn't terribly well formed.
One reason that so many of us are initially (or permanently) dismissive of the notion is that it's so hard to gauge what Linus has done for the world. How can we really know what the world would be like without Linux? Would *BSD or HURD get the development attention to bring them to Linux's standard (apologies to fans of these OS's)? Personally, I believe that Linux is quite strongly responsible for the quality of these and Haiku and all the rest of the OS OS's in use now. Linux has been a strong driving force because of the philosophy, and vitally, because of Linus Torvalds.
Don't use past recipients' unworthiness as reason to give it to him: Linus is worthy regardless.

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Re:Linux Peace Prize? by c0d3g33k · 2009-11-20 04:59 · Score: 2, Insightful

Maybe you haven't lived long enough to realize the significance of Linux as a world-wide collaborative project on a scale capable of producing something as complex as an operating system kernel. Less than 2 decades ago, a project like Linux was unheard of and essentially considered impossible. Anything non-trivial required the resources of a government or a corporation and that was that. What you now consider commonplace was a huge revelation when it began. Linux is one of the first projects that showed the world what the internet makes possible. Just about everything you now know as the FLOSS community happened because Linux set the example for what was possible. That *is* real change. Now, Linus was just in the right place at the right time and had the right personality to pull it off. But releasing the kernel under the GPL to encourage participation was also a big factor, so I agree with the poster below that a co-nomination with Richard Stallman would be more appropriate. I'll go so far as to suggest that Eric Raymond, Bruce Perens, Tim O'Reilly, Brian Behlendorf, Paul Vixie and Mitch Kapor belong in that group too. Maybe even Eben Moglen. In fact, considering the collaborative nature of free software, anything other than a group of key contributors would be incorrect and missing the point. I seriously think the people mentioned above (and a bunch of contributors who quietly gave of their time) changed the world in a significant way, for the better.
Re:Linux Peace Prize? by ZeroPly · 2009-11-20 05:02 · Score: 2, Informative

More importantly, the Peace Prize is not given just for creating positive change. It is given specifically for improving relations between nations, reducing standing armies, and promoting peace congresses. While that is interpreted loosely - especially in recent years, giving it to a software developer would be a huge jump. In a sense, it would be like giving the Peace Prize to the manufacturer of the hammer that was first used on the Berlin Wall.

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Re:Linux Peace Prize? by tomtomtom · 2009-11-20 05:17 · Score: 2, Interesting

At least in the post-WW2 era, I think this is true. Even in the pre-WW2 era, you could argue that too much emphasis was placed on the negotiators of peace treaties (many of which were more like terms of surrender) than the other part of the definition. I do think that, in retrospect, Gorbachev did deserve it (or at least led a group of people who did so) "for the abolition or reduction of standing armies" by pushing the Soviet Union towards a peaceful end to the cold war. But... awarding it to him in 1990, when the relatively peaceful transition of Russia out of the cold war was far from a certain outcome, meant it was really just luck that they actually got one right. Not to mention that the credit really belonged jointly to Gorbachev and Reagan, but it seems like the Nobel committee has a distinct dislike for those on the political right.
Re:Linux Peace Prize? by R2.0 · 2009-11-20 05:27 · Score: 5, Informative

"(okay, Carter brokered the Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement back in the 1970's which later fell apart, and did a lot of post-presidential negotiation work, but really..."
Look, I loathe Carter as much as the next gut, but at least get your facts straight. Carter won the prize for brokering the Egypt/Israeli peace agreement which, last I checked, still holds. That puts him pretty high on the list of people who have done something to further peace in the world, and he deserved the prize.
Now, if he had only spent more time and attention on the US, maybe his presidency wouldn't be viewed as a total failure.

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Re:Linux Peace Prize? by 0racle · 2009-11-20 05:27 · Score: 3, Insightful

Less than 2 decades ago, a project like Linux was unheard of and essentially considered impossible
First off, Linus didn't do anything but release some code out to the wild. What happened happened because of others, most of whom you'll never know the name of. Linus didn't do anything except keep hacking away at his tool.

Secondly, the GNU Project would most likely like to have a word with you. Founded (not by Linus) in 1983. Created most of an OS using a distributed development model (sound familiar) and was at the point that all Linus had to do was put a kernel under it in 1991. The Free Software community you attribute to Linus already existed. Linus used the fruits of their labor. The BSD project also already existed and if it weren't for a lawsuit from AT&T, you probably never would have heard of Linus Torvalds or Linux.

FOSS is *much* larger then just Linux, and was around before it existed.

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Re:Linux Peace Prize? by ConceptJunkie · 2009-11-20 05:35 · Score: 5, Insightful

It is given specifically for improving relations between nations, reducing standing armies, and promoting peace congresses.
That sounds really nice, but doesn't explain Al Gore receiving it. Even if you totally buy into global warming hysteria it still doesn't work. It also doesn't, if you are going to be honest, explain President Obama, who despite all the hype, has never accomplished anything of substance, leave alone improving international relations or anything promoting peace.
The truth is that Nobel Peace Prize is given by 5 guys in Norway to whomever the hell they want for whatever damn reason they want. Lately, that reason has amounted to little more than "Not being George W. Bush". Now, to a lot of people, "Not being George W. Bush" is a laudable accomplishment, but the Nobel Committee cannot pretend they are anything other than another bully pulpit for promoting their preferred flavor of politics.

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Re:Linux Peace Prize? by samkass · 2009-11-20 06:15 · Score: 2, Insightful

Secondly, the GNU Project would most likely like to have a word with you. Founded (not by Linus) in 1983. Created most of an OS using a distributed development model (sound familiar) and was at the point that all Linus had to do was put a kernel under it in 1991.
Oh please. If it was up to GNU we'd still be waiting for Herd and the concept of a viable Free operating system would still be considered impossible. And without MIT's X-Windows system, BSD's sockets system, others' file system(s), etc, etc, you wouldn't have a viable operating system. Certainly GNU was a major contributor to Linux, but their contribution joins many others to make Linux what it is today. And it was really through Torvalds' guidance and systems engineering, not Stallman's or GNU's, that the operating system came together and became something great.

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E pluribus unum
Re:Linux Peace Prize? by ajlisows · 2009-11-20 12:13 · Score: 2, Informative

Hey, I'll give Ronald Reagan credit for being a part of it, but Gorbachev is the important one here. Gorbachev had to pull out of Afghanistan, he had to let the Eastern Bloc Warsaw Pact nations determine how to handle their internal affairs. All of this was guaranteed to greatly reduce his own personal influence, and had a good chance (As it turns out, great chance) of greatly reducing the influence of communism in the world. Seeing as how Soviet Dogma suggested that the communist revolution needed to spread across the globe in order to succeed, he was basically blowing up his country in exchange for peace. On the other hand, America pretty much carried on as before.

Well... by MyLongNickName · 2009-11-20 04:41 · Score: 5, Funny

I can't say he is less worthy than Obama. Obama's biggest claim to fame is that he is not George Bush. Linus isn't George Bush either, so I guess his qualifications are in order.

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Re:Well... by royallthefourth · 2009-11-20 04:50 · Score: 4, Insightful

Political satire lost all meaning when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Re:Well... by scorp1us · 2009-11-20 04:55 · Score: 4, Funny

Linus has though, fueled many thousands of flame-wars with his product.
Obama just fuels just one Afgan war.

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Farcical by UbuntuniX · 2009-11-20 04:42 · Score: 3, Informative

Linus has certainly done more to deserve it than Obama.

Not a Campaigned Award by eldavojohn · 2009-11-20 04:42 · Score: 2, Insightful

Is it worthy of wider attention and discussion?

Why do you talk about it? Find someone in this list:

University rectors; professors of social sciences, history, philosophy, law and theology; directors of peace research institutes and foreign policy institutes;

Willing to Submit him for it and go back to coding. Don't go campaigning for some person to win the Nobel peace prize, call up your contacts at Washington University and discuss it with them. If you can't convince them to nominate him, it's probably not going to work.

This is not an elected award so I wouldn't waste my time trying to impose outside influence on a committee for a Nobel prize. The committee decides, not the community. I'm sure every profession has their savior/icon that they think deserves this award for revolutionizing something and altering humanity for the better. You're free to talk all you want but it's not going to change anything. Discussing it online is nothing but a waste of time unless your intentions are to embarrass Linus.

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Sure, why not? by Fished · 2009-11-20 04:43 · Score: 2, Funny

After all, he's not George Bush either. Or perhaps it's that he's not Bill Gates. *snark*

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Re:Sure, why not? by bornyesterday · 2009-11-20 05:43 · Score: 4, Interesting

Considering the amount of time and money that Gates has put into philanthropy, I think that someone could make a decent argument for Gates, or at least the Gates Foundation to receive the Peace Prize.

Yes! by mano.m · 2009-11-20 04:45 · Score: 2, Insightful

Absolutely. Peace isn't merely politicians negotiating treaties, public-spirited volunteers planting trees, religious leaders preaching tolerance, or organisations raising money to save endangered species. Peace is an instrument towards achieving open-minded and open-hearted coöperation amongst people from a wide variety of cultures, ethnicities and countries working towards creating solutions for the common welfare. If anyone deserves the Peace prize, Linus Torvalds probably does. Or perhaps the open-source movement, as a whole. Software may not be as visible as loud activists and marching protesters, but it has achieved the kind of collaboration amongst interested private individuals and companies that the environmental movement or any of various well-meaning political groups can only envy.

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Re:Well he's at least done more than Obama by Anonymous Coward · 2009-11-20 04:47 · Score: 5, Funny

Linus didn't start a nuclear war with Iran either.

You know...why not? by wandazulu · 2009-11-20 04:48 · Score: 5, Insightful

I've always been interested in seeing how computers get used in the far-flung parts of the world, and between OLPC and websites showing off pics of tribemen using Linux on laptops to check prices, weather info, etc., it would seem that Linux has made a difference both in the "developed" world as well as the places where computers may not be as prevalent.

Certainly it stands to reason that not everyone needs access to email, say, but everyone would like to know whether it's going to rain tomorrow, and there may not be a local radio or tv station to provide that info, but a computer with some sort of internet access could. So if I'm only going to use a computer once in a blue moon, or if I'm one who provides computers to folks who only need an extremely limited data set, why not be Linux? It's totally dependable and, most importantly, it's free. This is critical when the local economy may rely more on bartering and the exchange of physical goods for services; I can't imagine Microsoft would be willing to sell Windows for a few dozen eggs.

So yes, I'd be behind such an honor; the whole point of the Nobel Peace prize is to award people who have made other lives better, and providing the platform on which anyone, anywhere can build upon to provide anything, at the most local level, I can't see how this *doesn't* qualify.

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation? by rishistar · 2009-11-20 04:48 · Score: 2, Funny

It strikes me that a lot of good is being done by this body. Plus there's more to come. So it strikes me that Bill might be in line first, or maybe a shared one with Bill, Linus and Tim Berners-Lee or something.

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Professor Karmadillo Songs of Science

Re:That's GNU/Linux, you insensitive clod! by Shadow+Wrought · 2009-11-20 04:49 · Score: 5, Funny

Just give him a Gnubel Prize and call it good.

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If brevity is the soul of wit, then how does one explain Twitter?

LKML by daceaser · 2009-11-20 04:50 · Score: 2, Funny

Peace prize? They plainly haven't been reading the LKML at the Nobel Institute...

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-- There are three kinds of mathematicians: those who can add and those who can't.

Re:That's GNU/Linux, you insensitive clod! by Penguinisto · 2009-11-20 04:53 · Score: 5, Funny

...he would refuse it anyway, on the grounds that it wasn't called the "GNU/Nobel Peace Prize".

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Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?

Re:Well he's at least done more than Obama by eln · 2009-11-20 04:54 · Score: 4, Funny

Linus didn't start a nuclear war with Iran either

...yet.

Proof that Linux does NOT promote peace... by castironpigeon · 2009-11-20 04:55 · Score: 4, Funny

Everyone knows KDE is better than Gnome. And really, Ubuntu isn't even a real distro. It's just Debian gimped and preconfigured.

run away! run away!

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mmmm...forbidden donut

Re:Proof that Linux does NOT promote peace... by characterZer0 · 2009-11-20 05:02 · Score: 5, Funny

No, Ubuntu is Debian de-gimped. Pay attention.

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Go green: turn off your refrigerator.

Richard M. Stallman is doing the real work by H4x0r+Jim+Duggan · 2009-11-20 04:58 · Score: 3, Insightful

Stallman's working for social justice, freedom and equality. He gets chosen less often as a posterboy, but he's the one doing the really important work.

Linus is only popular because his style is convenient for IBM and the other megacorps. He goes with the flow, let's those with power do what they want.

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Please help publicise swpat.org - the software patents wiki

Re:Why Insult him with that? by Erbo · 2009-11-20 05:00 · Score: 3, Insightful

My thought exactly. I don't want to presume to speak for Linus, but I'd hope he'd be insulted by the thought of being awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, since the track record of its awardees (not just Obama, he's merely the most recent example) shows that the prize itself is meaningless at best.

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Be who you are...and be it in style!

Re:Well he's at least done more than Obama by Attila+Dimedici · 2009-11-20 05:05 · Score: 3, Insightful

Given that Obama got a nobel prize for doing NOTHING I don't see why not.

Not starting a nuclear war with Iran is technically doing nothing, but I still think it's a very, very good idea.

George W. Bush didn't start a nuclear war with Iran and he didn't get a Nobel Peace Prize.
Also, keep in mind that Obama has a few more years in which he could start a nuclear war with Iran.

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The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison

Re:Well he's at least done more than Obama by Profane+MuthaFucka · 2009-11-20 05:06 · Score: 5, Funny

Technically true, but you're forgetting Linus' herring genocide of 1997.

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I absolutely support this . . . by darth_borehd · 2009-11-20 05:06 · Score: 2, Interesting

He created a project that fostered international cooperation and was essential to the expansion of the internet. It made thousands of embedded devices possible and freed computers from the shackles of proprietary operating systems. It made computing possible for millions of people around the world who otherwise would not be able to afford computers. The non-profit, collaborative model opened doors to connect computer professionals from all around the globe. He would definitely be one of the best candidates in 20 years.

Bill Gates by Peregr1n · 2009-11-20 05:10 · Score: 4, Interesting

I know this is contentious, but I quite like being the devil's advocate. Isn't Bill Gates more suited to the Nobel Peace Prize?
His philanthropy is unparalleled (by monetory value alone, anyway). His influence on the world of computing is undisputed. I'm not saying his influence has been good or bad... just that he's had influence. The world wouldn't be the same without Windows. Regardless of which operating system you favour (for me, it's a tie between OSX and Ubuntu), you cannot deny that Windows has been an important component in the spread of information and education across the world, and enabled all kinds of communication.
A lot of this stuff would have happened anyway, without Windows... but then I could argue that the US civil rights movement would have happened at some point without Martin Luther King (a previous Nobel Peace Prize winner).

Re:Can we stop with the Obama comparisons? by Attila+Dimedici · 2009-11-20 05:15 · Score: 3, Informative

The Obama peace prize meme is really annoying. I don't think it was a great idea to give the prize to him but it the idea that we don't give nobel peace prizes to people to encourage/support/recognize potential work is just wrong. For example, the 1935 prize went to Carl von Ossietsky for his journalism and peace activism against the Nazis. He had at that point done very little to stop the Nazis. And we all know how well he actually succeeded. Not at all. But that prize was completely reasonable. There's a long history of giving the prizes to people who promise future work.

Carl von Ossietsky did not receive the peace prize for "potential work". he received the prize for the work he had done publicizing the German violations of the Treaty of Versailles and for speaking out against the Nazi Party. He received the prize for actions he had already taken, even if such actions had been ineffective. Please try again to provide an example of someone (other than Obama) who received the Nobel Peace Prize for actions they had promised to take at some indefinite time in the future.

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The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted. James Madison

No by Locke2005 · 2009-11-20 05:26 · Score: 3, Insightful

I'm a big fan of both Thorvalds and Obama, but I don't believe either of them deserves a Nobel Peace Prize... yet.

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I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.

I would proudly vote for RMS by MSG · 2009-11-20 05:39 · Score: 4, Insightful

I'd hate to see the guy who calls his co-opetition "masturbating monkeys" get a peace prize. :)

That aside, I firmly believe that the GPL is the reason for the success of the Linux kernel and of GNU/Linux. Compare the success of Linux and GNU/Linux to other systems which are more stable and have better documentation (like OpenBSD). There are many reasons why this might be, but I think that there would have been far fewer contributions to the Linux kernel if its license did not provide equal access for all contributors. A substantial part of Linux was written by commercial entities who would undoubtedly not be willing to invest in a product which their competition could build upon without contributing likewise in return.

We all owe a tremendous debt to RMS that I doubt will ever be repaid.

Re:He deserves it (Stallman) by Physics+Dude · 2009-11-20 05:39 · Score: 4, Insightful

Agreed. Those were my thoughts as well. Stallman's insight to see what was coming and draft the GPL has contributed immeasurably to the freedom and variety in the current software landscape. I honestly think it was a stroke of genius to use Copyright law itself in such a way as to create a code base that cannot be bought-out/subverted by corporations. Stallman had the vision to make it possible.

Unfortunately Comp Sci isn't considered science by joeflies · 2009-11-20 05:46 · Score: 4, Interesting

The example that Eric Schmidt stated to the New York Times was that Tim Berners Lee should have been given a Nobel Prize, but the Nobel community doesn't consider computer science to be in the same spectrum as other traditional life or physic sciences. I think both Tim is without question worthy of a Nobel, and there's a strong case for Linus as well, but it's questionable whether either has the political clout to win.

Re:Can we stop with the Obama comparisons? by Bigby · 2009-11-20 06:06 · Score: 2, Insightful

What about giving the prize to someone who has the power to withdrawal troops, but continues the wars? Get this: someone who is actively perpetuating a war gets a peace prize...

Re:Torvalds ... peaceful? by Maximum+Prophet · 2009-11-20 06:08 · Score: 2, Insightful

Linus, RMS, Eric Raymond, and Theo De'Rahdt are all exchanging ideas, sometimes harshly, they are not exchanging bullets. I'd say they all have a lot to teach politicians.

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the nobel peace prize should be discontinued by circletimessquare · 2009-11-20 06:13 · Score: 3, Insightful

the nobel peace prize has entered the realm of farce (arafat, kissinger, and obama for smiling nicely) and has destroyed its legitimacy

of course, maybe the whole idea was doomed from the start as a flawed idea

perhaps the prize should be reconstituted as a way to recognize truly deserving underappreciated efforts, such as microlending in poor areas or water purification projects. in other words: no matinee idols or celebrities need apply. this would rule out deserving celebrities like nelson mandela, but it would also rule out the likes of kissinger and arafat. no more stunt prizes like obama's

a prize only for the truly anonymous makes a heck of a lot more sense actually in the realm of what it really means to labor for peace selflessly, which is true peacemaking anyways

so if not discontinued, the prize should be reconsituted with strict guidelines as a prize for the truly anonymous

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intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it

Re:Apple and Parallels Desktop by QuincyDurant · 2009-11-20 06:20 · Score: 4, Funny

It was a serious question; I'm not technical enough to know the answer. I read Slashdot to try to wise myself up.

Re:He deserves it (Stallman) by DieNadel · 2009-11-20 06:45 · Score: 5, Insightful

My thoughts exactly. I once saw Stallman talking about what he envisions for GPL and freedom of software in the future, and it really looks like he's aiming at a more collaborative and free society. Not only that, but he has taken positive and large steps in getting there, by turning copyright against itself and actively advocating free software and its benefits.

Genius indeed.

I see it as unfortunate that he doesn't get the recognition he deserves. If he were more "accepted", his ideas would probably have an even stronger impact.

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Utinam logica falsa tuam philosophiam totam suffodiant!

Death Star by jDeepbeep · 2009-11-20 07:15 · Score: 3, Funny

...but they now cost 1000x more than they should and they only do what robot warlord Steve Jobs thinks you should be able to do.

That is.... until the building of the great and powerful Death psyStar

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Reply to That ||

How about the Turing award instead? by yorktown · 2009-11-20 09:27 · Score: 2, Insightful

It is the most prestigious award in Computer Science. Here is what it is given for:

It is given to an individual selected for contributions of a technical nature made to the computing community. The contributions should be of lasting and major technical importance to the computer field.

It isn't as famous as a Peace Prize, but it does recognize real accomplishment.

Re:He deserves it (Stallman) by shirotakaaki · 2009-11-20 10:04 · Score: 3, Insightful

I see it as unfortunate that he doesn't get the recognition he deserves. If he were more "accepted", his ideas would probably have an even stronger impact.

A shave and a shower wouldn't hurt in this regard.

Re:What are you talking about? by dokhebi · 2009-11-20 10:05 · Score: 2, Insightful

Most of these prizes are political anyway. Reagan, Thatcher, and Gorbachev should have won the prize for ending the Cold War in a peaceful way, but since the committee that makes the decision is mostly made of socialist nut jobs they were ignored.

As always, this is just my $0.02 worth.

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