Linux innovations? [was Re: [plug] [OT] An interesting bit on Mozilla]

[James Devenish]

Just a reminder: most definitions and expectations concerning the words
'innovate' or 'innovation' used involve the invention or application of
something that is new. Something novel, in other words. (I had thought
they did, at least. Though I came down in the last shower.)

But just as the word "initiative" gets used by business, marketing or
government types (sorry!) to mean "same idea the other guy had, but
using our people and with a different name and in a place that we like
better", "innovation" seems to often mean "something a bit different
that what someone else is doing, but basically a different juxtaposition
of a non-novel idea or a reinvention of something that was truly
innovative yet commercially unsuccessful some years ago".

I don't think that coming up with an alternative implementation is
innovation in itself. Even adding marginal features, while perhaps
innovation in a pedantic sense, is really no more an innovation than
using a three-pronged fork rather than a two-pronged fork. (Unless
there's something about forks that I don't know.) Assuming in this case
that the two-pronged fork came first, then the third prong may have
added stability to the basic two-pronged fork. But people already had
forks and prongs in the public arena. Choosing a different material for
forks -- now that's an innovation. But choosing a different colour
plastic, or making your plastic slightly from tougher material than the
other guy's plastic, isn't (in my opinion). Moreover, "unique" does not
mean "innovative".

What I would like to know is what people are referring to when they
strongly, but non-specifically, talk about innovation with Linux.

This really has nothing to do with any opinions I might or might not
have about the Mozilla project.