The Gordon Ramsey of software
In a parallel universe, there’s a version of Linus who runs a restaurant that makes noma look like a taco bell.
It’s pretty funny that Gordon Ramsey is actually a sweet guy and plays up the angry cook guy on TV.
The tone may be a bit harsh but it’s muuuuch better than how he used to be during his most toxic days. This is how he used to talk: https://www.networkworld.com/article/706908/security-torvalds-to-bad-security-devs-kill-yourself-now.html
Linus definitely got much better at handling his anger since his public apology in 2018.
reads the article
considers the triggers prompting the outburst
He’s… not wrong.
Not right, but definitely not wrong. There is a big difference between effective security and total security. He was dumping on total security, which in many ways is worse than no security at all.
It was never a question of being technically right or wrong. Linus’ realization was that his inflammatory language was viewed as permission by other people in the Linux community to be verbally abusive to their peers. People who had been valuable contributors to Linux projects explained to Linus how they had been berated by colleagues, and when challenged those colleagues cited Linus’ own language.
What Linus wants is working code, and you don’t get working code by giving tacit permission to your most aggressive & abrasive community members to attack others.
That’s why I was particularly clear about him being “not right”.
Because being abusive is definitely “not right”.
But sometimes you have to make a point and you just have no other way of doing so, because the deed is already done, and anything less shocking is just gonna get ignored wholesale. That foot-stomp has to be loud enough and clear enough to be heard even by the people in the back. And there are only so many (frequently limited!) ways of grabbing everyone’s attention by the nuts.
I don’t agree with how Linus handled it. But I can understand it.
sometimes you have to make a point and you just have no other way of doing so
Well, that’s just an excuse for bad leadership.
Indeed, I think he just wanted to get the point across that it is a dangerous approach.
I mean, telling someone to kill themselves is something that I’ve heard a lot, it usually never means “go and literally do it”, it’s more of an expression… But the fact that it was used in that context is just disturbing.
Doesn’t mean it’s ever the right thing to say.
Especially among professionals
There is no problem with reusing code, as long as you take some time to understand it.
Linus needs to make no corrections to his behaviour. His apology was needless.
He only flames those who make dumb mistakes, should know better, keep doing it, and don’t respect the gravity of the situation. Linux is used on MARS. Pretend to care.
There is a pattern to the people who get upset when they’ve earned a rebuke from Linus. Those people could get over themselves.
Well, kind of.
Linus needs to call out bad code, it’s an important part of Linux’s quality control. He doesn’t need to tell people to kill themselves.
