Linus doesn’t have to be a dick all the time. However, as I get older, I begin to understand the wisdom behind a monologue in Team America: World Police more and more:
We’re dicks! We’re reckless, arrogant, stupid dicks. And the Film Actors Guild are pussies. And Kim Jong Il is an asshole. Pussies don’t like dicks, because pussies get fucked by dicks. But dicks also fuck assholes: assholes that just want to shit on everything. Pussies may think they can deal with assholes their way. But the only thing that can fuck an asshole is a dick, with some balls. The problem with dicks is: they fuck too much or fuck when it isn’t appropriate - and it takes a pussy to show them that. But sometimes, pussies can be so full of shit that they become assholes themselves… because pussies are an inch and half away from assholes. I don’t know much about this crazy crazy world, but I do know this: if you don’t let us fuck this asshole, we’re going to have our dicks and pussies all covered in shit!
In this case, Linus is a dick who fucks when it’s not appropriate a lot (i.e., is harsh in his critique about bad code in pull requests). Assholes push bad code, and sometimes it’s so bad that it’ll fuck up the whole kernel. Pussies in tech magazines criticize his style of critique. Other pussies get “butt-hurt” because they code like shit too and they can’t or won’t admit it, and they’re so full of shit, they’re pussies who’ve become assholes themselves.
Fuck that, this is what creates those assholes and makes people unable to work in teams and we should be doing everything we can to push people like this out of the field, because it causes more harm than good. I’d rather have some fresh out of college kid who can actually communicate like a human and work with people while giving/receiving criticism without throwing a tantrum on my team than a Linus.
When Linus is nothing but a grave people piss on I want better people to have taken over, not the same. The entire basis of computer science is building off a previous iteration to make things better, and that should apply to the people too.
That anger and lack of self-control is fine as a vague blogpost maybe, but as an actual developer? Hell no, anyone who thinks this is acceptable has no place in any important field. Anybody who can’t control their emotions and act efficiently when putting criticisms forward is worthless, 30+ year old accomplishments they’ve been coasting on notwithstanding.
“I’d like to be a nice person and curse less and encourage people to grow rather than telling them they are idiots. I’m sorry—I tried, it’s just not in me.”
He self-admittedly doesn’t care about people growing and improving, which is the single most important aspect of being a developer. He’ll probably accomplish more than I ever will, but you know what? I’m still going to pass on better habits to the next generation, because in the long run they will accomplish more because of people actually encouraging that growth. It’s just that selfish, self-serving, admittedly less extreme, Andrew Tate-style toxicity in its earlier form (and being a KotH fan, you’re probably familiar with that episode from the newer season showing how Cotton’s behavior relates to those types, so hopefully you get what I mean).
Furthermore, to clarify, I think people should be allowed to be dicks (verbally). I also think they should face the consequences of being a dick.
Nerfing “toxic” language with the weight of law is too much, but public shunning and/or an employer’s ire are absolutely consequences that people should face with the same stoic fearlessness that they purport to have when they’re being dicks to other people. In this case, (I think) he is the owner of the kernel repository. His word is in fact law when it comes to pull requests. He can be a dick if he wants to, so long as it complies with Finnish law on slander, libel, inciting violence, etc. And, of course, we, the public, are free to judge him on it.
I read what he said. I also read the pull request in the code that he was talking about. I also noted how late the pull request was submitted. He’s harsh but also absolutely right, in this case.
What I can’t stand is the performative pearl clutching and virtue signaling that people love to masturbate to.
It’s a simple premise. As said in the gif I posted, “He’s outta line, but he’s right.”
Linus doesn’t have to be a dick all the time. However, as I get older, I begin to understand the wisdom behind a monologue in Team America: World Police more and more:
In this case, Linus is a dick who fucks when it’s not appropriate a lot (i.e., is harsh in his critique about bad code in pull requests). Assholes push bad code, and sometimes it’s so bad that it’ll fuck up the whole kernel. Pussies in tech magazines criticize his style of critique. Other pussies get “butt-hurt” because they code like shit too and they can’t or won’t admit it, and they’re so full of shit, they’re pussies who’ve become assholes themselves.
The code in question is, in fact, garbage.
Fuck that, this is what creates those assholes and makes people unable to work in teams and we should be doing everything we can to push people like this out of the field, because it causes more harm than good. I’d rather have some fresh out of college kid who can actually communicate like a human and work with people while giving/receiving criticism without throwing a tantrum on my team than a Linus.
When Linus is nothing but a grave people piss on I want better people to have taken over, not the same. The entire basis of computer science is building off a previous iteration to make things better, and that should apply to the people too.
Fuck that.
Too many people with brittle spirits performatively clutch their pearls to the point of banality when they’re called out on it.
That anger and lack of self-control is fine as a vague blogpost maybe, but as an actual developer? Hell no, anyone who thinks this is acceptable has no place in any important field. Anybody who can’t control their emotions and act efficiently when putting criticisms forward is worthless, 30+ year old accomplishments they’ve been coasting on notwithstanding.
“I’d like to be a nice person and curse less and encourage people to grow rather than telling them they are idiots. I’m sorry—I tried, it’s just not in me.”
He self-admittedly doesn’t care about people growing and improving, which is the single most important aspect of being a developer. He’ll probably accomplish more than I ever will, but you know what? I’m still going to pass on better habits to the next generation, because in the long run they will accomplish more because of people actually encouraging that growth. It’s just that selfish, self-serving, admittedly less extreme, Andrew Tate-style toxicity in its earlier form (and being a KotH fan, you’re probably familiar with that episode from the newer season showing how Cotton’s behavior relates to those types, so hopefully you get what I mean).
I think “coasting” is a bit too strong.
Furthermore, to clarify, I think people should be allowed to be dicks (verbally). I also think they should face the consequences of being a dick.
Nerfing “toxic” language with the weight of law is too much, but public shunning and/or an employer’s ire are absolutely consequences that people should face with the same stoic fearlessness that they purport to have when they’re being dicks to other people. In this case, (I think) he is the owner of the kernel repository. His word is in fact law when it comes to pull requests. He can be a dick if he wants to, so long as it complies with Finnish law on slander, libel, inciting violence, etc. And, of course, we, the public, are free to judge him on it.
I read what he said. I also read the pull request in the code that he was talking about. I also noted how late the pull request was submitted. He’s harsh but also absolutely right, in this case.
What I can’t stand is the performative pearl clutching and virtue signaling that people love to masturbate to.
It’s a simple premise. As said in the gif I posted, “He’s outta line, but he’s right.”