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When Enthusiasm For Free Software Turns Ugly

Posted by Soulskill on from the can't-we-all-just-get-along dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Bruce Byfield writes for Linux Magazine about the unfortunate side-effect of people being passionate about open source software: discussions about rival projects can get heated and turn ugly. "Why, for example, would I possibly to see OpenOffice humiliated? I prefer LibreOffice's releases, and — with some misgivings — the Free Software Foundation's philosophy and licensing over that of the Apache Foundation. I also question the efficiency of having two office suites so closely related to each other. Yet while exploring such issues may be news, I don't forget that, despite these differences, OpenOffice and the Apache Foundation still have the same general goals as LibreOffice or the Free Software Foundation. The same is true of other famous feuds. Why, because I have a personal preference for KDE, am I supposed to ignore GNOME's outstanding interface designs? Similarly, because I value Debian's stability and efforts at democracy, am I supposed to have a strong distaste for Ubuntu?"

6 of 177 comments (clear)

  1. Why the surprise? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Humans are pack animals. They need to gather according to shared traits and then see an enemy of everyone who does not fit. It happens with politics, religion, sports, cultural preferences, sexual preferences, computer platform choice and so on. The only thing going for nerd pack mentality is that slapfights and internet rage are funny. You want to get a good laugh at those losers flinging spitballs at each other over irrelevant minutiae. And then you want to twist their arms behind their backs and drown them in a toilet because they don't fit in.

  2. Why Indeed by Thanshin · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Why, for example, would I possibly to see OpenOffice humiliated?

    I don't often possibly to see.

    But when I do, I ask myself why would I.

    For example.

  3. Can't we all just get along? by Anubis+IV · · Score: 5, Funny

    I think, if we can just be patient and take the time to learn a bit more about each other, we can—quite possibly—finally get along with one another. No more fighting. No more squabbling. No more arguing about who or what is better. We learn to coexist.

    Ya know, I think we may be on to something here. Before we lose this moment, let's just jot down those thoughts quickly...in emacs.

    1. Re:Can't we all just get along? by jbernardo · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think that vi lends itself better to that state of understanding and empathy.
      I see no reason to write this shared moment in emacs other than a desire to be divisive and non caring towards command line users.

    2. Re:Can't we all just get along? by TeknoHog · · Score: 5, Funny

      Emacs was nice, but I now prefer systemd instead.

      --
      Escher was the first MC and Giger invented the HR department.
  4. Tribalism by jpkunst · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Tribalism a.k.a. "us" versus "them" is one of the oldest and deepest-seated human instincts (chimpanzees are also very tribal, which suggests that the instinct goes back to the common ancestor of humans and chimps).

    The overwhelming instinct is to choose a group to belong to and to want to see competing groups humiliated. Breaking out of this is very uncomfortable, as the effort will not be appreciated by your "tribe mates", who will consider you a traitor.