Re: [ATTEND] How to act on LKML

Stefano Stabellini
2013-07-17T09:17:25Z

On Tue, 16 Jul 2013, H. Peter Anvin wrote:
> On 07/16/2013 09:58 AM, Stefano Stabellini wrote:
> >
> > Because Linux is the most widely used kernel, it's everywhere from
> > embedded devices to supercomputers.
> > Many different companies make a business on Linux and pay people to work
> > on it (not FreeBSD or NetBSD). But that's different from what I was
> > saying below. Also not all the sub-groups within the kernel development
> > circles work this way.
> >
>
> I think you have an inverse causal relationship here.
>
> Linux took off in a way that the other OSS operating systems didn't, and
> several of them had started earlier and with way more funding available.
>
> You really have to think about why we are not running Hurd, or any of
> the various *BSDs, and instead Linus' "not big and professional like
> GNU" hack. In my opinion it was because the Linux community was in fact
> the most open and welcoming of the Open Source communities around.

Then it's the time to ask ourselves: is it still like this?

> > When HPA wrote "I find it utterly impossible to be offended by it", that
> > might be true for Linus' rants and I also find them humorous sometimes.
> > But unfortunately this kind of behavior is by no means limited to Linus
> > and it's easy to misunderstand, especially when you don't know the
> > person.
>
> There seem to be a fair number of people who think they can imitate
> Linus' style but do so without understanding the subtle aspects about
> how to apply it.

Right, this is actually the main point I wanted to make.
Linus' outbursts are not the problem per se because Linus tends to
attack the code rather than the people and does so when he has a point,
without straying from the conversation.
However they set up an example that others try to imitate, without the
same thoughtfulness.
I guess this is the price to pay for being a role model ;-)