The Success of Linux

The Success of Linux: "Interesting news report here on a panel of Linux luminaries at LinuxWorld San Francisco talking about why Linux has been successful.

Some typical and familiar reasons include the fact that Linux started in Europe, the emergence of the global Internet at that time, the lack of central control and focus on loose coupling, 386 chips, GNU tools, and the natural skill of Linus Torvalds to bring people together in a community environment. Also mentioned -- and probably most interesting -- was Maddog Hall's observation that the success of Linux also had to do marketing. Not marketing in general, but the marketing of Linus himself as the leader of the community. 'Here's this nice young man wearing sandals and with a funny accent, as opposed to other people that weren't quite as nice.'

Now, I've always viewed Linux as the anti-marketing, so Maddog probably means grass-roots or community marketing where everyone participates, not a central authority way up in the cathedral dictating messages. However, the idea of good guy vs bad guy is a traditional an"

read more

source: Sun Bloggers