>Because that's the only way to manage an organization that consists of more than a dozen hackers.

Yet our society is mostly not top-down. No one dictated what will be the next new word to come into existence. Nor is there a commissar that tells us what recreation to enjoy or even how to enjoy it. Seems humankind gets along just doing stuff and figuring out how to organize on it's own without top-down for all aspects of our lives.

I find it funny that people on the internet, of all places, say that top-down anything is the way to manage an organization. Do you use linux? apache? http? run git? use python? PHP?

Linux is totally a top-down dictatorship. The about this sort of thing in general is that Open Source makes Exit[1] (forking) is super easy which has follow-on effects making Voice more effective. So dictatorship becomes a much more effective model of open source development than it is with political units or brick and mortar companies.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit,_Voice,_and_Loyalty

Don't people always talk about how the best open-source projects are run by "benevolent dictators"? Free entry and exit are rather different things from an organization that just never plans ahead "because freedom".

I find it funny that some people assume that top-down is the solution to all problems. It never seems to cross their minds that life as a whole is not top-down (see biological evolution, such a pesky thing that turned out to be...).

It's totally the same. USPS should adopt flat structure because Valve does it.

Horizontal management is not what I'm talking about. But please do try to stuff words into my mouth. ;)

You have 2 accounts commenting about the same thing? Not cool.

Huh? No.

Then why do you reply to comments directed towards somebody else and act like I was talking to you?

Because I saw the comment in the thread and since I made the grandparent comment that means I can see it? I know this might be a shock but I'm going to comment on your comment just as well if I think it's dead wrong or interesting. Don't like it? Then don't post comments as they're not private. But trying to concoct some conspiracy theory isn't going to garner anything close to a friendly conversation.

I suggest taking a step back, reading the comment thread again and taking some of your own advice.

I suggest you stop throwing out baseless accusations and apologize? Wild idea, I know!

I have nothing to apologize for. I have a conversation with somebody who compares apples to oranges and you come and say "i didn't say anything about apples, why you stuff things in my mouth?". Well, don't put your mouth in the wrong places or it WILL get stuffed. We even have a saying exactly about this where I'm from, albeit it involves other parts rather than your mouth. Too bad it doesn't translate.