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The fact that Linus didn't take offense to the criticism of his abrasive nature shows that he expects it to be a two-way street. He really does have a thick ski

by blutoot 12y ago

The fact that Linus didn't take offense to the criticism of his abrasive nature shows that he expects it to be a two-way street. He really does have a thick skin.

lutusp 12y ago
Or maybe he senses the hypocrisy of complaining about the same sort of treatment he dishes out. I think he's too smart to make that mistake.
- Crito 12y ago
  Is it really so hard to believe that a man who is abrasive has no problem dealing with other people who are abrasive? There do exist different cultural attitudes and standards for abrasiveness, tact, manners, and respect. The standards currently used in corporate America are not universal; some people have stronger standards, others have looser.
  - lutusp 12y ago
    > Is it really so hard to believe that a man who is abrasive has no problem dealing with other people who are abrasive? That would be a classic symptom of narcissism. I'm not saying Linus is a narcissist, if anything I'm saying the opposite -- if he accepts the same treatment from others that he puts out, that argues against narcissism. Now Steve Jobs, on the other hand ... I couldn't stand working with Steve because of his obvious and unbearable narcissism. He is why I never worked directly at Apple for more than a few weeks during many years of professional association on a number of software projects.
dan00 12y ago
Linus told a story about a guy, that wrote something for the kernel and Linus thought in the first place that it was more or less bullshit, but didn't told it directly to the guy, so when the guy was finished and wanted to get his stuff merged, Linus had to tell him that he will never merge this. I don't know how mucher later, but this guy killed himself afterwards. Linus told that he doesn't feel guilty about this or thinks that he was the main cause for the killing, but well, I don't think that such an experience has no effect on your behaviour, but I can't tell if Linus' behaviour was different before this event. I think that Linus told this story in the talk where he showed nvidia the finger.
- conistonwater 12y ago
  This is the part of that talk, I believe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MShbP3OpASA#t=2111 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MShbP3OpASA#t=2111 I actually find his reasons quite convincing, I think he's got a point.
  - buovjaga 12y ago
    He said the developer's friends told him "he is suicidal", not that he killed himself.
    - dan00 12y ago
      Oh, thanks, I just heard it again and yes, Linus says "suicidal", at the time I might just heard "suicided".
- dan00 12y ago
  Like buovjaga rightly points out, Linus says "suicidal" and not "suicided". Sorry for that, I seem to have misheard it.

by blutoot 12y ago

The fact that Linus didn't take offense to the criticism of his abrasive nature shows that he expects it to be a two-way street. He really does have a thick skin.

lutusp 12y ago

Or maybe he senses the hypocrisy of complaining about the same sort of treatment he dishes out. I think he's too smart to make that mistake.

Crito 12y ago
Is it really so hard to believe that a man who is abrasive has no problem dealing with other people who are abrasive? There do exist different cultural attitudes and standards for abrasiveness, tact, manners, and respect. The standards currently used in corporate America are not universal; some people have stronger standards, others have looser.
- lutusp 12y ago
  > Is it really so hard to believe that a man who is abrasive has no problem dealing with other people who are abrasive? That would be a classic symptom of narcissism. I'm not saying Linus is a narcissist, if anything I'm saying the opposite -- if he accepts the same treatment from others that he puts out, that argues against narcissism. Now Steve Jobs, on the other hand ... I couldn't stand working with Steve because of his obvious and unbearable narcissism. He is why I never worked directly at Apple for more than a few weeks during many years of professional association on a number of software projects.

dan00 12y ago

Linus told a story about a guy, that wrote something for the kernel and Linus thought in the first place that it was more or less bullshit, but didn't told it directly to the guy, so when the guy was finished and wanted to get his stuff merged, Linus had to tell him that he will never merge this. I don't know how mucher later, but this guy killed himself afterwards. Linus told that he doesn't feel guilty about this or thinks that he was the main cause for the killing, but well, I don't think that such an experience has no effect on your behaviour, but I can't tell if Linus' behaviour was different before this event. I think that Linus told this story in the talk where he showed nvidia the finger.

conistonwater 12y ago
This is the part of that talk, I believe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MShbP3OpASA#t=2111 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MShbP3OpASA#t=2111 I actually find his reasons quite convincing, I think he's got a point.
- buovjaga 12y ago
  He said the developer's friends told him "he is suicidal", not that he killed himself.
  - dan00 12y ago
    Oh, thanks, I just heard it again and yes, Linus says "suicidal", at the time I might just heard "suicided".
dan00 12y ago
Like buovjaga rightly points out, Linus says "suicidal" and not "suicided". Sorry for that, I seem to have misheard it.