It's kind of odd to ask this question in response to a comment that already specified two possible advantages. Namely: 1. It sets up a challenge that incentivi

It's kind of odd to ask this question in response to a comment that already specified two possible advantages. Namely: 1. It sets up a challenge that incentivizes people to try to contribute; they "think it would be awesome to get their code past Linus" 2. It serves a form of initiation ritual (a hazing) to give people a sense of belonging to the group (I'm not sure I personally buy point 2, because as far as I know Linus is nice to newbies.) Beyond that, I can list plenty more: 3. It builds trust in your sincerity. If you openly bitch about everything that pisses you off, then when you say that something is decent work, people know you mean it. 4. As a direct consequence of point 3, it makes the environment much more welcoming for people with scrupulosity complexes, who might otherwise worry that they're just being a nuisance who everyone would rather not have around (but is too polite to shoo away) 5. It drives away hyper-PC social-justicey types who would otherwise impose CoCs and disrupt everything with conflict and hatred. 6. It sets a tone in which people feel free to speak freely, which sets people at ease who would otherwise be anxious about accidentally giving offence (perhaps because they have poor English skills, perhaps because they're neuroatypical in some way that affects their social skills). Are there downsides too? Sure. But this is just the age-old set of tradeoffs between having a politically correct space and a politically incorrect space; different people will feel alienated (or be rejected by the group) in each of them. For me, anti-PC spaces are home; they're where I feel comfortable and safe and able to contribute, while PC / intersectional feminist / social justice spaces feel oppressive. I guess silveroriole feels the same way.