[PLUG] Linus Torvalds for Nobel Peace Prize

[Keith Lofstrom]

Since the Nobel Peace Prize is often given to politicians, some
disagree with the choices.  But it is often given to non-politicians
who create international efforts to change the world for the better.  

Look at the massive international efforts represented by SC09, and
realize that much of it started from the work of a 21yo Finnish
college student named after 1962 Nobel Peace Prize winner Linus
Pauling.  It would be fitting to honor that international effort
by giving a Peace Prize to Linus Torvalds, perhaps in 2011 on the
20th anniversary of the August 1991 Linux announcement, or in 2012
on the 50th anniversary of Pauling's award.

Linux is one of the largest cooperative international efforts ever
undertaken.  It inspired Ubuntu, One Laptop Per Child, and many
other global projects.  Linux conquered the supercomputer space,
the server space, the embedded computer space - by peaceful means! 
Linux helped sequence the human genome, helps protect the world
computer infrastructure from viral attack, and is now the pathway
for millions to learn computer programming and participate in new
international efforts.

The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize recipient (a politician some disagree
with, please disagree in a different thread, thanks) is giving
the keynote to SC09 as I write this.  Meaning that we are all
three handshakes away from the people that decide on future Peace
Prizes.  Perhaps it is time to launch some messages through our
connections and see what makes it to the committee meetings in Oslo.  

According to the list on Wikipedia, the five people to convince are
Thorbjørn Jagland (chair), Kaci Kullmann Five (deputy chair), Sissel
Rønbeck, Inger-Marie Ytterhorn, and Ågot Valle.  We can start by
sending them Norsk language Ubuntu disks.  

While I imagine Linus Torvalds would be embarrassed by the attention,
it would sure make his parents happy.  And it would mean one less 
Peace Prize for a politician.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com         Voice (503)-520-1993
KLIC --- Keith Lofstrom Integrated Circuits --- "Your Ideas in Silicon"
Design Contracting in Bipolar and CMOS - Analog, Digital, and Scan ICs