[ Thanks to Natalie
Shahova for this link. ]
“Even people remote from the computer industry have heard about
Linux, a free operating system that has become widespread and, some
people expect, may someday replace Microsoft Windows. Its creator
Linus Torvalds, the world leader of the popular open source
movement in the IT industry, told his story (in collaboration with
David Diamond) in the book Just for Fun, published by HarperCollins
in May 2001. The book was translated into Russian by EnRus and
published by EKSMO. I made Linus’s (virtual) acquaintance while
translating Just for Fun, as I contacted him in order to solve
various issues in the text. When the project was finished, Linus
gave me an interview, which was published in Russian in Computerra
#11, 2002. The English original appears below.“Knowing from Just for Fun that Linus is tired of answering
questions about Linux and open source, I turned to topics of
language and culture that interest me as a professional translator
and are particularly relevant in the post-Soviet environment.“You were born in Finland, but your mother tongue is
Swedish. Do you call yourself a Finn, or a Swede? What is it like
to be a Swede in Finland?“Oh, I’m a Finn, definitely. When Finland beats Sweden in ice
hockey, it’s a national holiday, and Swedish-speaking Finns are
celebrating. I only speak Swedish; there are no ties to the country
of Sweden. And don’t say ‘Swede in Finland,’ it’s really
‘Swedish-speaking Finn’ (‘finlandssvensk’ in Swedish,
‘suomenruotsalainen’ in Finnish)…”