This article incorrectly refers to Linux as an operating system.
The Linux kernel trumps the moonshot by a few orders of magnitude
11–20 of 43 posts
Re: The Linux kernel trumps the moonshot by a few orders of magnitude
#12I think the issue is that to the average person, there is nothing inspiring about the linux kernel. The space race created a large amount of respect for science/research in the public eye - something that results in more kids enrolled in science and math programs. The long tail effect of sending people to the moon is a lot hard to measure than KLOC.
> I think the issue is that to the average person, there is nothing inspiring about the linux kernel.
There's nothing inspiring to a non-average person either, it's not like the linux kernel is a work of discovery and greatness. It's nice, it's a free unix, it's everywhere and it's convenient, but it's not really blazing new trails or anything.
And if the linux kernel didn't exist, people would be using something else. Most of the mindshare would probably live in FreeBSD since Linux gained its ground and staked its early marks during the BSD uncertainties of the early 90s.
Re: The Linux kernel trumps the moonshot by a few orders of magnitude
#13This article incorrectly refers to Linux as an operating system.
this comment incorrectly thinks it is in anyway important or the writer anything other than an irritating pedant.
Re: The Linux kernel trumps the moonshot by a few orders of magnitude
#14Can't cosign this one, I think its a grave underestimation of the import of a species being able to escape however briefly from their home planet. 100 years from now, linux will probably have gone the way of the doodoo bird, certainly by 500 years from now it will have... 500 years from now the question of whether or not man has ever set foot on the moon, and when that first occurred will still have impact
>100 years from now, linux will probably have gone the way of the doodoo bird
Based on my car this morning, "doodoo birds" are alive and well. But I do agree with your main point - to quote Carl Sagan, humanity for now is forced to "make its stand on Earth". We have all of our proverbial eggs in one basket and nowhere to go if problems arise.
The Linux kernel is a complete unknown to the vast majority of people on the planet, and touches the lives of such a small percentage of the 7 billion people here. Find someone on Earth that's unfamiliar with the moon or the colossal achievement it would be of having landed a man on its surface and brought him safely back to the Earth. Most cultures unfamiliar with the technology would think you were a god; the Linux kernel pales in comparison.
Re: The Linux kernel trumps the moonshot by a few orders of magnitude
#15By this logic, janitorial work should trump the Linux kernel -- there are far more janitors out there than Linux developers. Janitors are everywhere. We rely on them all the time. The difference between the lunar missions and the Linux kernel is easy to see, if you bother to pay attention. Decades of research in numerous fields were required before the Apollo missions could happen. Experts in numerous fields had to c…
I agree with you. Linux is possibly a bad example, there's nothing special about writing it.
That said, we have made major progress in many fields and I disagree that nothing important is done anymore. Consumer aviation comes to mind. The safety standards they have met is truly mind boggling. Wireless and Internet Connectivity is another - wimax has a huge impact in developing countries. IMO, just these two things have made massive impact on how we do things in everyday life. Much more than the space program to daily life.
Re: The Linux kernel trumps the moonshot by a few orders of magnitude
#16Maybe I am reading this wrong. It seems to be about the US, as opposed to humanity, not having done anything important in a while:
"the fact that the US doesn’t have a manned spaceflight program is a step back. But then he said, “our generation hasn’t done anything like land someone on the Moon… we used to do big things.”"
Then he goes on to put-up Linux as an example of the US (???) having done something great? Did I read that wrong?
Linux is not a US development. It didn't even start in the US. It's the result of collaboration from nearly every corner of the world.
As for humanity not having done something great. Please. Billions of people are connected like never before via the Internet. Never in the history of mankind was the dissemination of information, knowledge and culture accessible to so many for so little. And this is just the beginning.
Re: The Linux kernel trumps the moonshot by a few orders of magnitude
#17Can't cosign this one, I think its a grave underestimation of the import of a species being able to escape however briefly from their home planet. 100 years from now, linux will probably have gone the way of the doodoo bird, certainly by 500 years from now it will have... 500 years from now the question of whether or not man has ever set foot on the moon, and when that first occurred will still have impact
>100 years from now, linux will probably have gone the way of the doodoo bird Based on my car this morning, "doodoo birds" are alive and well. But I do agree with your main point - to quote Carl Sagan, humanity for now is forced to "make its stand on Earth". We have all of our proverbial eggs in one basket and nowhere to go if problems arise. The Linux kernel is a complete unknown to the vast majority of people on th…
The Linux kernel is a complete unknown to the vast majority of people on the planet, yes. But it runs so much of the Internet behind the scenes that I don't think it's fair to say that it only touches the lives of "a small percentage" of the people. Not everyone, to be sure, and depending on how many levels of indirection you consider to be valid, perhaps not even half. But undoubtedly more than can really be called a "small percentage."
Re: The Linux kernel trumps the moonshot by a few orders of magnitude
#18The Alcatel-Lucent 5ESS switch code is larger, more mature, has probably had more developers over its lifetime, and still, pretty much, runs the whole phone network.
Re: The Linux kernel trumps the moonshot by a few orders of magnitude
#19Sorry. Wrong. If we were to undertake a serious challenge, like get to Mars, or go 100% renewable power in 15 years, I'd take that over the linux kernel any day all day.
Re: The Linux kernel trumps the moonshot by a few orders of magnitude
#20This article incorrectly refers to Linux as an operating system.
> This article incorrectly refers to Linux as an operating system.
No, it doesn't. If you're going to be "that guy", please consider at least being obnoxious and correct.