[plug] [link] Linus and the fire-hose

[Leon Brooks]

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    http://www.linuxjournal.com/comments.php?sid=6601&tid=5838

<quote>
Linux is being adopted for reasons that have a great deal to do with Linus 
Torvalds and firehoses. 

In the early part of the last century, one of the U.S. national treasures 
nearly burned down. Located on the Mall in Washington D.C., it contained 
irreplaceable historical objects, the Museum of Science and Natural History. 

It almost burned down because none of the firehoses coupled together. Provided 
by different manufacturers, they were incompatible. The curators barely 
managed to extinquish the fire anyway. 

As an answer, the Bureau of Standards began to dictate the standards for 
firehose connectors when supplied to the U.S. government. Not for anyone 
else, just the U.S. government. Almost immediately, other governmental 
entities adopted the standard. Cities, towns, fire districts, and States 
mandated that the non-standard "standard" be followed when submitting bids to 
them, as well. 

Manufacturers were furious. They no longer owned their own private standards. 
Instead, any two bit foundry could cast the nozzles and conectors, machine 
them to meet the specifications, and there was a ready market across the 
country. The price of brass firehose nozzles and connectors plummeted. 

Linus has done the same. He has imposed a hard-nosed standard (he admits he is 
a jerk at times) with high levels of quality. He wields this awesome power 
through the simplest of protocols: he owns the list. He, and he alone, says 
"THIS is part of LInux 2.4.20 or 2.6.3 or whatever, and THAT is not." If you 
do not like Linus' list, fine. He has already invited you to create your own. 

[...]

OpenSource and ROI are not driving the transformation. It is powered by Linus' 
Free (as in "beer") Standards.
</quote>

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Cheers; Leon