You're using a line of argument that I see quite often in day to day stuff (outside the kernel) so I have to push back on this. >would have more weight for me

You're using a line of argument that I see quite often in day to day stuff (outside the kernel) so I have to push back on this. >would have more weight for me if [...] It came from major Linux contributors. The group of people you would give the most weight to the opinion of are also the group under the most pressured not to voice dissent publicly. It isn't wrong to look to them or give large weight to their positions. The error is in assuming that we can know their position beyond their choice not to rock the boat. It might be very easy (they're in full agreement) or very tricky (blood boiling, but "not their hill to die on"). All we know is that they do not dissent to the level that they are willing to risk their involvement in the project at hand, or have a damaged reputation when they try to participate in another.