Comment 6 for bug 516834

So what would an appropriate default be in the kernel then? Presumably the reason the default is set where it is is because it is appropriate for some uses, i.e. dedicated servers. The problem is that there is no one default value that will suit all needs. Ubuntu already ships a patched kernel, so why should there by a problem with tweaking this one parameter? In any case you don't even need to patch the kernel. You just need an init script to do the job. What's the worst that could happen? Some servers run suboptimally? A little caution can be a good thing, but not when it means you choose to make the whole system unusable rather than implement a trivial fix.