🏯 The “Modern Rōnin” and the “Benevolent Dictator”
In open-source culture, the term “benevolent dictator for life” (BDfL) describes someone who guides a project with
technical and moral authority, but without authoritarianism — a person who leads through respect, not power.
Patrick Volkerding perfectly embodies that: the guardian of Slackware, who for decades has kept the distribution simple, stable, coherent, and faithful to the UNIX philosophy, without relying on corporate structures, committees, or trends.
This stance mirrors the spirit of a rōnin because:
He serves no master — no company, no foundation, no passing fashion.
He walks his own path (dō), guided by conviction rather than profit.
And he welcomes the community’s help, yet never compromises the moral and technical code that defines Slackware.
#slackware #quotes #ronin #japanculture