“In the news media, it is generally shown that flame wars and
forks are detrimental to the growth of FOSS (Free/Open Source
Software) But if we see the history of FOSS, both flame wars and
forks have played a crucial role in determining both growth and
direction of important projects. There are also arguments that this
leads to fragmentation and marginalization. There is some truth in
these arguments but there are a lot of benefits which are often
overlooked. This article looks at some of the benefits of forking
and flame wars through history…”