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Ask Alan Cox, Activist

Posted by Roblimo on from the fighting-the-good-fight dept.

Alan Cox is one of the world's most famous Linux kernel hackers. Lately he's been speaking out quite a bit on issues like copyright law, software patents, and the future of Linux, and has generally become a bit more politically active, at least in the public eye, than he was in the past. Slashdot interviewed Alan back in 1999. Lots of things have changed since then, but our interview procedure hasn't; one question per post, we send 10 of the highest-moderated ones to Alan, and post his answers verbatim as soon as he gets them back to us.

8 of 265 comments (clear)

  1. A ? by The+Turd+Report · · Score: 0, Funny

    So, now that LNUX is in the shitter, what is it like to be one of the poor again?

    --
    Michael Loves Me!
  2. Alan.. by ackthpt · · Score: 3, Funny

    Who's face would you most prefer on your own personal dartboard? Why?

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  3. Beards? by WinstonSmith · · Score: 5, Funny

    Alan,

    I've been programming a computer since I was 8 years old. I'm 29 now. That's 21 years of "experience". Lately, however, I've come to the realization that I'm never going to make it "big" unless I grow a Big Ole Programmer's Beard. I'd like to think it's possible to be a wise UNIX guru without one, but I think it would be easier if I had a beard. A big one.

    My question is: Since my wife won't let me grow the Big Ole Programmer's Beard, what should I do to make it "big" in the world of UNIX gurus?

    1. Re:Beards? by odaiwai · · Score: 3, Funny

      you could try a fake beard.

      Alternatively, you could grow a real one, but hook two pieces of wire over your ears and tell you wife that it's actually a fake one. "see? it needs some wires to stay on."

      dave

    2. Re:Beards? by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 3, Funny
      I've been programming a computer since I was 8 years old. I'm 29 now.

      Boy, you'd think you'd be done by now.

    3. Re:Beards? by Snoopy77 · · Score: 4, Funny

      To save Alan the time of replying to this post I'll give it a shot.

      I think the jey here is compromise, and at the heart of this compromise is the goatie. No it's not a full blown beard, just a mini-beard. Now if your wife is willing to let you grow a goatie you'll experience the following benefits.

      1. Eligible for guru understudy status
      2. Can participate in emacs vs vi wars but must take the side of emacs
      3. Immediate membership into system administrators club but not allowed to touch the clusters
      4. Can hack kernel code as long as a 'Big Beard' is looking over your shoulder

      Good Luck

      --
      "She's a West Texas girl, just like me" - G.W Bush Iraqis
  4. Did You Ever Get Picked On In HS? by Lethyos · · Score: 2, Funny

    I have 50 karma points, so I need to burn some. Did you ever get picked on in high school for your name? Do you still get picked on for it? I seems to me that it must be difficult to get people to treat you seriously with a name that sounds like numerous, uhm, parts.

    --
    Why bother.
  5. RMS by Z4rd0Z · · Score: 5, Funny

    Have you ever met RMS, and if so, did your beard get tangled up with his?

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    You had me at "dicks fuck assholes".