Agenda Setters: Where are they now... Linus Torvalds

As the countdown continues to silicon.com's fifth annual Agenda Setters poll of tech's 50 most influential individuals, it is time to look back at those individuals who held top 10 positions in 2003. Today we review the year that's been in open source.

Linus Torvalds is among the select few who have made the Agenda Setters poll every year since its inception in 2000. Last year, he reached his highest spot ever, coming in a number 5.

Though he remains active in and vocal on open source issues - he's now working for the Open Source Development Labs in Beaverton, Oregon - Torvalds is chosen again and again for what he represents. He's the symbolic leader of the open source movement, the embodiment of the idea that there's always an alternative.

But the question of the day is whether he'll make the list this year - and even more so if he can manage to squeeze into the top 10 again.

Over the past 12 months, Linux and open source software have continued to make strides toward being accepted as real alternatives for business. Linux is now the number two operating system worldwide and Microsoft has admitted open source options are a threat to its livelihood. Several high-profile municipalities and businesses - including the city of Munich, an Irish bank and a portion of the UK's NHS - have announced they're switching from Windows to Linux. There's even talk of the state of California going open source to cut costs

Open source continues to receive support - sometimes in the form of fat cheques - from its influential friends IBM and Sun. And Asia has taken a liking to the software model, with major open source and Linux-related projects in South Korea, China and Japan.

The enforcement of software patents could cause problems for open source. Though Torvalds has said he's concerned about legal threats to Linux in general, he's not overly worried about claims Microsoft could use patent law to launch an assault on the OS.

On a personal note, Torvalds has left Silicon Valley for the slower pace and rainier climate of Portland, Oregon.

As Linux's profile rises, so does Torvalds'. Our bet is 2004 will be his fifth year on the list - and he's got as good a shot as any at the top 10.

silicon.com's Agenda Setters panel, made up again of CIOs, analysts, VCs, consultants, lawyers, academics and other experts, is convening this month at our London offices with our results revealed at the end of that month. If you want to pass on your comments for our experts, about Linus Torvalds or any other contender, drop us an email at editorial@silicon.com.