The issue at hand... (Score 1)

Listen, I'm not a particularly huge supporter of Linux, just because I've tried it before and, though I'm hardly a tech novice, I just found it too bothersome to do the things that I wanted to do. The UI was rather annoying, and over all I just found Windows 2000 to be easier for ME to use. Now, if Linux works for some people (as it obviously does), that's great, and I'm glad for it, so don't flame me or whatnot. Here's the thing... What the OSS and Free Software crowd are looking for out there is basically a revolution. You'd like to overthrow the (oppressive) powers-that-be and erect a new temple built on the ground of sharing, cooperation, and equality. Laudable goals. The problem is that no revolution has ever really been staged without a visionary that is able to guide and mould the revolution. Look at politics for your examples: Italy, Russia, France, the United States...they all required leaders who had the vision and drive to unite the factions within each nation that wanted change and tell the sides to shut the hell up about the minor things and do the major things right. That's what has to be done in order to win at anything. Businesses are the same way. You can't run a business by proxy: it just doesn't work. The most successful businesses are ones that have a leader that will go out on a limb, take a risk, but at the same time gather and consolidate his employees into a working, functioning machine. That's the only way that works. If you want further examples, look at early humans: we lived in tribes, we had a leader who was there because he was the strongest (ergo, he could tell everyone else what to do), and everyone listened to him. You know why? Because if they didn't, infighting would result, and everyone would die. Same thing with the OSS/FS community: if you really want to beat the other side, you have to have someone who can call the shots and say "listen, we all need to work on *THIS* in order to make the next step." Without that, people (especially smart ones) have too many of their own ideas to be productive...energies have to be focused, and that's what a leader does. Just my 2 cents. KGod