[PLUG] Linus is mad at a kernel maintainer

[Keith Lofstrom]

On Sat, Dec 29, 2012 at 09:53:30AM -0800, MJang wrote:
> It suggests that people who want to "help" maintain the kernel need a
> pretty thick skin. I suspect this "style" will continue as long as there
> are many qualified developers ready to take their place in the kernel
> elite.

This reminds me of Michael Schwern's theory of Geek Communication.
Person-to-person communications are filtered.  Neurotypicals
("normal" people) have their filters on the output - say nothing
offensive.  Geeks have their filters on the input - hear nothing
offensive.  When neurotypicals listen to geeks, there are no 
filters and the neurotypical feels insulted.  When geeks listen
to neurotypicals, there are two filters and the geek detects
deviousness and insincerity. 

To non-kernel developers, Linus's style is extreme.  To a kernel
developer, it may be densely informative.  As both a beneficiary
and victim of kernel developers, I must say that Linus's "colorful"
language (protecting user space programs from nonstandard kernel
behavior) is more likely to result in a beneficial kernel for
ordinary users.  If only the writers of applications and user-
space libraries were equally concerned with reducing dependencies.

Keith

-- 
Keith Lofstrom          keithl at keithl.com         Voice (503)-520-1993