People Holding Up the Internet

Billions of smartphones rely on code maintained by a small group of individuals. Computer science professor Paul Eggert has been the coordinator of the time zone file since 2012, whose changes impact Android phones and iPhones. The file was updated on September 29, 2026, with Manitoba moving to permanent -05 time, which prevents clocks from being set back on November 1.

In a year, 218 of the 251 changes were made by Paul and 28 by Tim Parenti. In 2011, an astrology software company sued Paul and Arthur Olson, claiming copyright infringement. After a legal battle, IANA took over the file's management. Paul Eggert later requested a backup coordinator, Tim Parenti, in case he could no longer contribute.

The source also discusses other critical software projects, like xz and core-js, which are maintained by volunteers facing challenges like mental health issues and legal troubles. Projects like sudo and libjpeg-turbo also rely on the contributions of a few dedicated individuals, with some facing financial struggles and limited resources.

SQLite, found in nearly every Android device and major software application, is maintained by D. Richard Hipp, who has funded the project through donations and support.