Title completely misrepresents Linus Torvalds + other flaws

Story: Linux creator Linus Torvalds doesn't really care about open sourceTotal Replies: 2
Author Content
caitlynm

Feb 22, 2016
5:42 PM EDT
This article may rank as the worst tripe, or close to it, that Matt Asay has published, and that's saying a lot. Let's see what Linus really said about Open Source:

"What I love about open source is that it really allows different people to work together."

"I was afraid of commercial people taking advantage of my work, but those people were really lovely people. They used open source in ways I did not want to go. It works beautifully together."

That doesn't read like someone who never intended to write Open Source code or someone who "doesn't care about Open Source". This not only is click bait, it's dishonest and deceptive click bait. Shame on Matt Asay.

I'll add that he doesn't understand the difference between Open Source and Free Software. They are not the same thing at all, yet he conflates them:

" Torvalds has never been particularly religious about free and open source software in the way that, say, Richard Stallman is."

Finally, Asay has to say that proprietary is better: "That's why Amazon Web Services will dominate the next decade of enterprise computing: It sells proprietary software services, but they're accessible at a reasonable price and just a credit card swipe away."

That credit card swipe says nothing about openness or closed-ness. OSS or even Free (as in freedom) software can come with a price tag attached. Red Hat and SUSE are both good examples of that.

This whole piece doesn't demonstrate cluelessness, although it would be easy to make that assumption. No, it demonstrates an agenda, one that promotes proprietary software over FOSS.
nmset

Feb 23, 2016
3:38 AM EDT
To me, this article is just blowing hot air. I have always been amazed about how people can use words in artistic ways to explain that the earth is flat. This one earns a special prize.
skelband

Feb 23, 2016
2:52 PM EDT
Most of what Matt Assay has to say I find complete twaddle, particularly when he used to regularly write for the Register.

In this article, he's effectively saying that he didn't explicitly think about open source when he started his kernel which is hardly surprising because it was just a hobby project.

There's a world of difference between that and the implication of the title and all the rest of the nonsense spouted in the article.

Posting in this forum is limited to members of the group: [ForumMods, SITEADMINS, MEMBERS.]

Becoming a member of LXer is easy and free. Join Us!