Linus Torvalds – World Hero by Giving Away his Software
The European edition of the US weekly mewsmagazine Time has chosen Linus Torvalds, father of the Linux system, on its list of heros of the last 60 years. By giving away his software, the Finnish programmer had earned a place in history, Time writes. They chose him in the category “Leaders and Rebels”. He was just 21 when he changed the world by writing the kernel of a new computer operating system called Linux. He posted it for free on the internet and invited anyone interested to help improve it.
“Today, 15 years later, Linux powers everything from supercomputers to mobile phones around the world, and Torvalds has achieved fame as the godfather of the open-source movement, in which software code is shared and developed in a collaborative effort rather than being kept locked up by a single owner”, Time writes.
The power of giving is a central spiritual principle. You can read more about it in the issue on Giving and Taking of the Good Will in Action.
