People Holding Up the Internet
An investigation into digital infrastructure reveals that much of the modern internet relies on a surprisingly small number of volunteer maintainers. The study highlights the fragility of critical software projects that underpin global mobile and server ecosystems.
Why it matters
This underscores the 'bus factor' risk in global technology, where essential digital services depend on the continued labor of a few individuals, posing potential security and stability risks.
Billions of phones run on code looked after by a handful of people. We counted them from the code itself.
Teaches computer science at UCLA, and has been the official coordinator of the time zone file since 2012.
Android phones and iPhones use his file. We didn't count servers, Macs or laptops, which would push the number higher.
Your phone's time zone, as the file has it today
On 29 September Paul put out version 2026e of the file. The first line of its notes says that Manitoba moves to permanent -05 on 31 October, which tells phones in Winnipeg not to set their clocks back on 1 November, and it was typed in by two volunteers a month ahead. Of the 251 changes made to the file in the last year, 218 were his and 28 were Tim Parenti's.
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