Messages in this thread | | | Subject | Re: Availability of kdb | From | Gary Lawrence Murphy <> | Date | 11 Sep 2000 13:31:33 -0400 |
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>>>>> "A" == Alexander Viro <viro@math.psu.edu> writes:
A> As for the "greater social good" (or world domination, for that A> matter) - excuse me, but quite a few of us couldn't care A> less.
Thanks for the comment, and please don't feel guilty about it, it is a perfectly valid reason for Linux. It is also what I suspected by looking at the structure of the code: IMHO, Linux (ie the kernel) is the _ultimate_ "user friendly" software product ... _iff_ you consider the "users" as the programmers themselves. I know of no other piece of software which gives its users such depth of community.
I also frequently see vetos and approvals on this list where the final rationale is social rather than technical. There is no fault or evil in this, and social reasons are important to ensuring the community functions. Just so long as we all understand that this is the purpose of Linux. In a very early interview (c.1993?), Linus gave a list of requirements which begins with Linux being fun to work on for himself, and then for other developers. For some, it is.
You might say Linux has succeeded because it is a 'playground' for developers, a place where they _like_ to contribute and where there are no project managers, marketing or QA people saying "you must do this and that by next Tuesday".
This is perfectly fine. The playground atmosphere sets it apart from its more staid and serious competition. Linux need not set out to rule or save the world. It is a gift, and we can take it or leave it as we wish.
But ... wouldn't we avoid a lot of these technical merit discussions of this or that method or technique (kdb, reiserfs, &c) if we were more open about its purpose?
-- Gary Lawrence Murphy <garym@linux.ca>: office voice/fax: 01 519 4222723 T(!c)Inc Business Innovation through Open Source http://www.teledyn.com M:I-3 - Documenting the Linux kernel: http://kernelbook.sourceforge.net "You don't play what you know; you play what you hear." --- Miles Davis - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/
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