Fake Linus Torvalds

Taking a page from the popular FakeSteveJobs blog, we invited four well-known industry and community leaders to guest tweet as if they were the real Linus Torvalds during the weeks leading up to LinuxCon.

These FakeLinusTorvalds (FLTs) tweeted live from our Identi.ca (linuxfoundation) and Twitter feeds, and their identities were revealed at LinuxCon, directly after the Kernel Panel, featuring the real Linus Torvalds, on September 21, 2009.

Just who were these imposters?

FLT1: Dan Lyons, the ghost behind FakeSteveJobs and currently a Newsweek reporter
FLT2: Matt Asay, CNET open source blogger and VP of business development at Alfresco
FLT3: Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier, former reporter and currently community manager for openSUSE
FLT4: Jono Bacon, Community Manager, Ubuntu

Lyons came in fourth with his tweets, with Brockmeier coming in third, and Bacon the runner-up, leaving Asay in first place.

As he received the coveted silver penguin award, Asay told the crowd he was honored to emulate, if only for a brief time, such a huge presence in the open source community.

Fake Linus Torvalds Biographies

Fake Linus Torvalds #1		I eat Apples for lunch. I break Windows "Just For Fun." Don't let my mild-mannered, in-person exterior fool you; I’m a complex man. Married with children. Based in the Rose City. Read all #FLT1 Tweets

Fake Linus Torvalds #2		Eric Raymond calls Linux "open source" so that I can make a trillion dollars selling it. I just call it great software. I don't do it to crush Microsoft, and I have enough money to keep the Portland rain off my keyboard. All I want is peace, love, and Peets Coffee. Plus a few more karate lessons to be able to hold my own against my wife. And maybe a smidgeon of world domination. Read all #FLT2 Tweets

Fake Linus Torvalds #3		Having a lot of fun making the world safe for penguins, open source, and sandals with socks. Not necessarily in that order. I know that, secretly, Bill and Steve are green with envy. World domination, it's closer than you think! Read all #FLT3 Tweets

Fake Linus Torvalds #4		I'll do anything for fun. I rarely do conferences these days, but LinuxCon and Plumbers are in my hood and they seem like fun. I have my views on the world, I say what I like and I like what I say. I don't watch the market, but that is no reason to offer an opinion on it: like I say. What else do you need to know? Read all #FLT4 Tweets

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Why are the Fake LTs using Mac OS X on Mac laptops!??
written by Scott Dowdle, August 26, 2009

Umm, isn't that Mac OS X on those laptops in the video? Why?!?!?

...
written by Tommy He, August 27, 2009

Quite fun

The digits of Pi are 3.14159 (and mounting)
written by Robinson Tryon, August 27, 2009

What's that? Did I hear you right, or are my ears not receiving?
Geeky rappers are clever, but never ever so deceiving,
Step back, sit down, please rewind and wipe that grin,
don't try to front so high lest you commit a mortal sin.

Last time I checked (just now, if you are counting)
The digits of Pi are 3.14159 (and mounting)
Even the whiteboard proclaims it, no excuses, for shame,
That's one point off your slide rule, you know the rules of the game.

Next time, in rhyme, when you're lyrically spouting,
Always check before you wreck, or you'll end up pouting,
If you're ever in need of a remedial lesson for free,
take notes from MC's Front, Chris, and STD.

well
written by muyi, August 27, 2009

except that this is meant to be a fun game, based on the tweets so far, i see no way of identifying the real "fake linus torvalds" if there is any. as for favorites, that is yet to be seen.