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What frustrates me is you young bucks confusing Linus' personality with his technical prowess. He is not (only) his code. What if you found out Mozart ate litt

What frustrates me is you young bucks confusing Linus' personality with his technical prowess. He is not (only) his code. What if you found out Mozart ate little babies. Some of you would say that his music sucks. Some of you would say "Well, Mozart had to eat babies, to fuel his creative genius!" Few would accept that Mozart was a flipping musical genius who ate babies. From what I've read online, Linus can be a churlish little bitch, obviously ignoring the issue at hand when it suits him. Sometimes, he calls someone a moron, because they have done something he doesn't like, for some social reason. But he's a damn fine programmer, and can logic it up with the best of 'em. Often, when you get the the moron blessing from Linus, you have made a grave technical error, and you should be called on it. I wouldn't use the same style as Linus, but ey, to each his own. Just enjoy him for what he is, and leave the cult of personality stuff for others.

bmelton 14y ago
Thank you. I don't know where the 'young bucks' demarcation point is, but I, at 34, can remember when I was either willing to forgive my idols for their transgressions or wasn't. And I also remember that feeling you pointed out of either rationalizing it or being unable to, and it mostly having to do with how I felt about them before I found out about whatever thing they did that crossed me. I don't remember when it happened exactly, but I've since grown to the point that I can separate someone's good qualities from their bad. I hate Ben Roethlisberger for his off-field behavior (and because I'm honor bound by being a Ravens fan,) but I won't let that delude me from thinking he isn't a quarterback that most teams would kill to have. Maybe it's just seeing more and more of your idols fall away as it's hard to find anybody who honestly doesn't do something that irritates you in some way, and in just the way your closest friends do. Everybody put on a pedestal will eventually fall off, or failing that, die. Anyway, I'm rambling at the moment, but your post touched a chord, and hopefully people can appreciate the truth in it before rushing to rationalize it.

bmelton 14y ago

Thank you. I don't know where the 'young bucks' demarcation point is, but I, at 34, can remember when I was either willing to forgive my idols for their transgressions or wasn't. And I also remember that feeling you pointed out of either rationalizing it or being unable to, and it mostly having to do with how I felt about them before I found out about whatever thing they did that crossed me. I don't remember when it happened exactly, but I've since grown to the point that I can separate someone's good qualities from their bad. I hate Ben Roethlisberger for his off-field behavior (and because I'm honor bound by being a Ravens fan,) but I won't let that delude me from thinking he isn't a quarterback that most teams would kill to have. Maybe it's just seeing more and more of your idols fall away as it's hard to find anybody who honestly doesn't do something that irritates you in some way, and in just the way your closest friends do. Everybody put on a pedestal will eventually fall off, or failing that, die. Anyway, I'm rambling at the moment, but your post touched a chord, and hopefully people can appreciate the truth in it before rushing to rationalize it.