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Linus in USAToday

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the stuff-to-read dept.

Jeroen writes "USAToday features a nice mainstream article about Linus Torvalds, with mentions his grandfather and contains quotes from his father." The article calls him the next Bill Gates, albeit tongue in cheek.

19 comments

  1. the next billgatus? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    why didn't they just call him the next charles manson? :0)

  2. He should have charged $$$ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Great article, except for that bit about how
    Linux would have "caught on sooner" if Linus
    had charged money for it.

  3. Easy to use? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Analyst Dan Kusnetzky, a program director for research firm International Data, says Linux is catching on because it is very powerful, very reliable, simple to use and free.


    Bwah-hah-hah-hah-hah!!!!

    Sorry, couldn't resist. As soon as 90-year old grannies can use it then I will believe the claim that it is "simple to use".

  4. lying with statistics with stats well posted by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The 212% has been posted several times on the net. And that one is supposed to be an underestimation.

    Furthermore, it is estimated that half of the servers are running some combination of apache and linux.

    Go home you silly microcrap commie bastard!

  5. Uh- Not quite. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I agree w/ you on everything but the Win95 doesn't script part. I run a script to log me into my ISP, when I run 95. No tool, it's built in.

  6. Control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    One major difference between Linus and Bill: Linus doesn't so much control OS development as lead it. If you're working with good ideas, you don't have to control them to make things work.

  7. Majorly good article by Codifex+Maximus · · Score: 1

    As nice as it is to have articles about Linus by Linux people, it's even more enjoyable to get the opinions and views of those currently outside the Linux core crowd. It gives one a view of a different perspective; quite refreshing.

    --
    Codifex Maximus ~ In search of... a shorter sig.
  8. 90-year-old grannies... by cduffy · · Score: 1

    ...can't use Windows or the Mac either.

    At least, those who can are mighty rare. Anyhow, simple to use depends on how you look at it. Unix is simple to use in that it's very logical; There's not half as much guesswork involved in adminning a Unix box as a Windows machine.

  9. Great Article by sterwill · · Score: 1

    I usually read the "mainstream Linux" articles expecting them to be full of inaccuracies, half-truths, and a competitive slant where there often is none. But this article was an honest portrait of Linus; the family research and interviews were excellent. Can you imagine a similar exchange with Gates's relatives? I can't.

    Even though they said something like "Linux is cheaper than Unix" without explaining their criteria for costly Unix, the article was devoid of that silly word "freeware!" However, they didn't touch on the freedom aspect of the software... which doesn't bother me much. I think the article was much more about Linus than his creation.

  10. What a Keen Article by Scott · · Score: 1

    I'm typically not one for mainstream press, but USAToday can be pretty good at times. It was a nice story, people doing background research like that might actually get the clueless rags to come around.

  11. Debian linux is listed as a commercial vendor by Temperance · · Score: 1

    When did Debian become a commercial entity? They have it listed next to red had as companies selling linux, when Debian is a non profit organization.

  12. For once an original article, great! by IAMNTM · · Score: 1

    Now, what's wrong with playing with matches? :-)

  13. Linus started with a Vic-20! by Jacco+de+Leeuw · · Score: 1

    The article says that he programmed games in the mid-70's but that can't be right. I too started on the Vic-20, around 1981 or so.

    Heck, who knows I have a game by Linus on my old data tapes somewhere! ;-)

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    Warning: Slashdot may contain traces of nuts.
  14. It's in the print version, too... by Jeff+Monks · · Score: 1

    It's on page 3B of the print copy. Good one to buy and leave casually laying around...

  15. press by dripfeed · · Score: 1

    think of how many copies are in airplanes
    and hotel rooms.

  16. lying with statistics by trb · · Score: 1
    stupid content in this article:
    Torvalds, 29, is the creator of Linux, a software operating system that has increased its market share 212% in the past year.
    212% of what? From 100 sites to 312? very impressive. (obviously not, but the statistic is useless).
    Linux now runs on some of the most heavily used computers in the world, including research computers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and scores of Web servers around the world.
    Scores? what, 60 sites? 80? An accurate number here would have helped too.
  17. Shortcomings of this article by bneely · · Score: 1

    The article does a nice job explaining that Linux is free, but I think it is important to point out why it is free. A casual reader of this article won't know the history of the GNU project, or anything about the GPL. I would like to see more articles of this nature give more coverage to the GNU project which is as much a driving force as the Linux kernel is.

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    -b
  18. Interesting article, why did they wait to print it by cholko · · Score: 1

    It would seem that they could have printed this type of article earlier. Were there any pro-Linux or should that be (non-MS) articles printed while the trial was on hold for the holidays?

    This article is pretty much one sided... but at least its about the person for most part. People need to attach a face to a creation.

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    . * Did aliens forget to remove your anal probe?
  19. Other people work on the Linux kernel too by GeekBoy · · Score: 1

    Don't get me wrong. I think it's great that Linus
    is getting alot of press. He's done ALOT and done
    it well. He also bears a heavy burden/responsibility to
    alot of people now. However, I think it would be
    nice for some of these articles to mention the
    other people that work steadyfastly on the Linux
    kernel, like Allan Cox for one. It takes alot
    of people to pull off a project like Linux. It's
    a TEAM effort.