Today, 28 years ago Linus Torvalds announced Linux on comp.os.minix
groups.google.comI remember big confusion and arguments at my university at the time about whether it was a version of Minix or not. People couldn't seem to grasp that it was something new, and when they finally admitted it they just argued that it should be Minix.
I have read this a thousand times and will do so thousand times more. I am always filled with that "damn how do you even fathom folks in this whole other 'plane' function" awe. It also makes me wonder if any project today at this level of "unpolish" would be anywhere close to take off.
And now let the game begin : let's identify today's equivalent. It doesn't have to be in the computer field though.
One of my favorite quotes from Linus (when answering a question about the possibility of porting to other hardware): "Simply, I'd say that porting is impossible. It's mostly in C, but most people wouldn't call what I write C."
Humble and clearly focused on the fun of building his own OS, rather than taking over the world... Wonderful.
I wonder if he ever addressed the 64 task limit.