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Linux Community To Adopt New Code of Conduct (kernel.org)

Following Linus Torvalds' public apology for his behavior over the years, the Linux Community said it will be adopting a new "Code of Conduct", which pledges to make "participation in our project and our community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation."

61 of 780 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Code of Conduct - Exact Text by smallfries · · Score: 3, Insightful

    No more telling people they can deep-throat Microsoft if they want then. No wonder Linus needed to go and “find himself”.

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  2. Re:Am I missing something? by CoolVibe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No clue. But they could have cut out complete swaths of text just by stating "We don't care what you are, what you do, or what your opinions are. Just show us the code. If it's good, we'll take it. If it's not, we'll see what we can salvage". All this fluffy bullshit is just that. Fluffy bullshit.

  3. The death of Linux by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    This is how the snowflakes kill off technology; by making it effectively socially illegal to do things based on the technical merits by allowing people to claim to be offended by technical craftsmanship.

    After this no longer will good ideas be judged on their technical merits; No, that's not PC anymore. It must be INCLUSIVE to other non-technical requirements that will dumb down the technical requirements and make the end product worse.

  4. Can't be examined in isolation by Etcetera · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I really, really, really wish these had been handled non-concurrently. It's virtually impossible not to analyze or comment on the two events together, which leads to some unsettling connotations for some.

    While I think Linus taking a breather to maybe not be as much of a dick while still demanding high quality code is an admirable moment of self-reflection, the roots of this Code of Conduct are quite unsettling.

    One really can't discuss the wording of the CoC without discussing the Contributor Covenant and the larger philosophical goals of the Post-Meritocracy manifesto.

    From the CC:

    A Code of Conduct for Open Source Projects
    Open Source has always been a foundation of the Internet, and with the advent of social open source networks this is more true than ever. But free, libre, and open source projects suffer from a startling lack of diversity, with dramatically low representation by women, people of color, and other marginalized populations.

    Part of this problem lies with the very structure of some projects: the use of insensitive language, thoughtless use of pronouns, assumptions of gender, and even sexualized or culturally insensitive names.

    Marginalized people also suffer some of the unintended consequences of dogmatic insistence on meritocratic principles of governance. Studies have shown that organizational cultures that value meritocracy often result in greater inequality.

    From the PMM:

    Meritocracy is a founding principle of the open source movement, and the ideal of meritocracy is perpetuated throughout our field in the way people are recruited, hired, retained, promoted, and valued.

    But meritocracy has consistently shown itself to mainly benefit those with privilege, to the exclusion of underrepresented people in technology. The idea of merit is in fact never clearly defined; rather, it seems to be a form of recognition, an acknowledgement that “this person is valuable insofar as they are like me.”

    (If you are not familiar with criticisms of meritocracy, please refer to the resources on this page.)

    It is time that we as an industry abandon the notion that merit is something that can be measured, can be pursued on equal terms by every individual, and can ever be distributed fairly.

    These are explicitly political documents... and they should be addressed as such. I don't think anyone has a problem with "don't be a jerk, and don't make it personal" in an open source project. Arguably, Linus has stepped over the line on occasion. The adoption of this document goes far beyond rectifying a mere lack of teeth in telling people to "Be excellent to each other"

    1. Re:Can't be examined in isolation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      No shit. This is the beginning of the end for Linus and quite possibly Linux in its current hugely successful form. It won't happen tomorrow, but the sort of social justice lunatics wanting to take over the project are celebrating. See the nodejs fiasco for an example. He had to ensure he was never alone with a woman because of their machinations and using women to get alone with him before making allegations... and this is the next stage.

      Codes of conduct exist to take projects away from maintainers. That's their purpose. They've been forced onto one project after another - they are the open source/free software version of entryism. Woolly wording... fuck all to do with actual technology... vague enough to be used to crucify men based on anonymous, worthless allegations.

      Linus will end up regretting this. He'll be forced off the project by some bullshit made-up claim.

      It's how this always happens. Mark my words.

    2. Re:Can't be examined in isolation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Post meritocracy? What is this insanity!

      "What does a post-meritocracy world look like? It is founded on a core set of values and principles, an affirmation of belonging that applies to everyone who engages in the practice of software development."

      I don't want these people near the linux kernel!

    3. Re:Can't be examined in isolation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Merit = technical capability.
      Basically whenever I see a piece of code that make me go "nice", "avoided most pitfalls", "hadn't thought of that", that is merit gained right there.

      Merit = put hands on keyboard and work
      Something is getting hacky, a person refactors it (point above applies), without being explicitly asked to. Merit gained.

    4. Re:Can't be examined in isolation by Etcetera · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Notably that while they were making room for all that moderately flowery language about inclusion, they removed the parts where they warn that there may be criticism, because criticism is an important facet. Since a frank warning that *appropriate* criticism was deemed too scary, I suppose they omitted it.

      This is an excellent point. A presumed reason for it being called a "Code of Conflict" was an acknowledgement that there would be conflict, and that management of that conflict was crucial for any human endeavor. Conflict is natural, and our justice system itself is based on an adversarial interaction (lawyers for the prosecution and defense debate in front of a jury according to given rules). In that context, going from "conflict" to "conduct" itself is a notable change.

    5. Re:Can't be examined in isolation by HornWumpus · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That's a stupid argument.

      Merit cannot be measured _perfectly_, same as all other metrics. Not the same as saying it can't be measured at all, which is just obviously wrong on its face.

      --
      John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  5. Re:Good. by CoolVibe · · Score: 2, Insightful

    We were here first. Get the hell off my lawn.

  6. Re:Code of Conduct - Exact Text by sinij · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This Code of Conduct applies both within project spaces and in public spaces when an individual is representing the project or its community. Examples of representing a project or community include using an official project e-mail address, posting via an official social media account, or acting as an appointed representative at an online or offline event.

    Looks good. So if you are not acting on behalf of the project, use official project email for communication, or were officially appointed representative, then your conduct has no relationship with this. Extreme example - Nazi would still be able to contribute as long as Nazi-related speech is kept out of commits, discussions, mailing list, and group events.

    Representation of a project may be further defined and clarified by project maintainers.

    Ugh, what? Why bother defining the above applicability rules and then inserting this gigantic "scope is what project maintainers decide the scope is"? This seems like a huge flaw that has to be fixed.

  7. this is madness.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Is everybody insane?!

  8. Re:Opinions by guruevi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    In post-modernist theory, those two things are the same though.

    --
    Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
  9. Re:Oh thank god by martiniturbide · · Score: 1, Insightful

    A Conduct Code does not means you had to accept source code from everybody just to don't hurt people feelings. I think it is to don't treat people bad when they do mistakes and don't enjoy being a dick making fun or labeling people because of their errors. I know this is slashdot and it is almost a rule to be a dick on replies, but check more about the wheaton's law: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes...

  10. Linux: survived Microsoft, killed by SJWs by IGnatius+T+Foobar · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is the end of Linux as we know it. The "Code of Conduct" is teeming with words and phrases that indicate the project is now going to be policed by Social Justice Warriors who will micro-manage everything. It means that the Linux kernel is no longer a meritocracy.

    The only "code of conduct" ought to be: "my code doesn't care about your feelings". You can't develop good code in a Safe Space.

    --
    Tired of FB/Google censorship? Visit UNCENSORED!
    1. Re:Linux: survived Microsoft, killed by SJWs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The lack of any discussing how good the contributed code should be.

    2. Re:Linux: survived Microsoft, killed by SJWs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "The end of Linux as we know it"? Gee, overreach much?

      No, it won't be the end of Linux as we know it. If anything it could make Linux better by not pushing away code contributors thanks to a sometimes toxic community.

      The issue, which you surely know and are willfully ignoring/misrepresenting is NOT that my code cares about your feelings, but that people in the development community shouldn't be assholes when dealing with each other.

      And you can write good code in a "Safe Space". I've worked at several companies that had very strict rules about conduct in code reviews, problem reporting, and, more generally, meetings. And you know what? We did good and sometimes great work, because we could focus on our work, the stuff we loved about coding, and not the petty personal crap that tends to creep into nearly all workplaces. If someone got out of line, no one even had to complain; word of what happened would inevitably get to mgmt who would discreetly step in, talk to the offender behind closed doors, and that would be the end of it.

      If you value your opportunities to be a jerk more than creating a comfortable, productive work environment, then there's nothing anyone can do to help you.

    3. Re:Linux: survived Microsoft, killed by SJWs by religionofpeas · · Score: 4, Insightful

      For example: "fostering an open and welcoming environment", plus all notes relating to that.

      It would be better if the environment was not particularly welcoming and friendly to those people who can't produce the highest quality code. If you can't keep up, get out of the way.

    4. Re:Linux: survived Microsoft, killed by SJWs by frank_adrian314159 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      You can't develop good code in a Safe Space.

      Personally, I don't see how you develop good software in the middle of a jerk factory bro party either other than by pure luck. But that's me.

      --
      That is all.
    5. Re:Linux: survived Microsoft, killed by SJWs by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Note that the old CoC warned contributors that most contributed code would need revising before being accepted. In other words, hardly anyone is good enough to produce high enough quality for Linux and it takes community effort to get to that level.

      So if you think people who "can't keep up" should "get out of the way" you are rejecting most Linux contributors.

      I also don't see how being open and welcoming would prevent feedback being given and code improve before being accepted. If anything it should help the process along. Perhaps you can give us a real world example of how you think this could be a problem.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    6. Re:Linux: survived Microsoft, killed by SJWs by Phillip2 · · Score: 1, Insightful

      "Meritocracy" is a confusing word, since it just means something where merit is important. But without a definition of merit, it's not really that helpful. Nor, is "we should just consider code that works". I mean, some who writes functional code that does the job is nice, but if that code is unreadable and unmaintainable by some else, that's not so good.

      And, if we say, "he's a great coder, but an idiot whose annoys everyone in their social interactions", that is not so great. Then "merit" becomes "the ability to code and the ability to put up with an idiot who annoys everyone".

      For myself, the idea that a project does not allow racial abuse, for example, is a perfectly reasonable thing to put in a code of conduct. It's not a nice thing to do, and it's not a nice thing to receive. But, more than this, in some jurisdictions, it could cause legal problems if an employer put a member of staff in a position where this happened to them and did nothing about it.

      I am curious, though, where you get the idea that good code is dependent on an "unsafe space"?

  11. Re:Wheaton's law - Don't be a Dick by jimmifett · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Except Wheaton is one of the biggest violators of that.

  12. Re:Oh thank god by CoolVibe · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Decisions, decisions. Protect fragile ego's from entitled children and get nothing done, or state things like they are and/or come off as a jerk in the process, while getting shit fixed... I'll take the latter.

  13. Re:Oh thank god by CoolVibe · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Or, grow a skin and fix your damn code.

  14. Re:Code of Conduct - Exact Text by bsDaemon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Meanwhile, what was removed:

    -The Linux kernel development effort is a very personal process compared
    -to "traditional" ways of developing software. Your code and ideas
    -behind it will be carefully reviewed, often resulting in critique and
    -criticism. The review will almost always require improvements to the
    -code before it can be included in the kernel. Know that this happens
    -because everyone involved wants to see the best possible solution for
    -the overall success of Linux. This development process has been proven
    -to create the most robust operating system kernel ever, and we do not
    -want to do anything to cause the quality of submission and eventual
    -result to ever decrease.
    -
    -If however, anyone feels personally abused, threatened, or otherwise
    -uncomfortable due to this process, that is not acceptable. If so,
    -please contact the Linux Foundation's Technical Advisory Board at
    -, or the individual members, and they
    -will work to resolve the issue to the best of their ability.

    So, the language that states "best possible solution" has been replaced language related to the "good of the community." Personally, I don't interact with Linux as a community (if my name isn't enough of a tip-off). I consume it as a product, and I want the best product I can get in order to go do something else, because work. If they think they can still get the best product while airing all this drama in public and trying to build sticks to hit each other with, whatever. Good on them. What I fear will happen is more "my ignorance is just as valid as your expertise, and if you don't think so i'm going to beat you with the CoC until you stop hurting my feelings." That's not going to result in a better product.

    But, not my community, not my responsibility. But now that most of the world runs on this stack, I just want to see a consistently high level of quality. Lack of quality makes it my problem, regardless of whether or not it is my responsibility.

  15. Re:fun game out of context, totally apropos: by wed128 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Yeah, but he's right.

  16. Re:Oh thank god by Crashmarik · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Or, more contributors will stick around because now they don't have to deal with abusive dicks like you

    Someone thinks because they wear a man bun , a fedora, and attended a couple month how to code camp they are actually skilled and knowledgeable.

    I am sure the project is going to love having more people working on it

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    Hopefully Linus is taking a break to hone his language skills so he can better destroy truly annoying people that have no business being near the kernel.

  17. Re: fun game out of context, totally apropos: by PopeRatzzo · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Unfortunately, this kind of fury is sometimes needed to keep developers in line in the FOSS world. But only when the project is something as important as the Linux kernel.
    Linus has always had a handle on his fiery pasdion. Theo de Raadt has not and always let his ego get in the way.

    Do not apologize, Linus. Without your might, Linux will go the way of Windows 8 within a few short years.

  18. It's going to be a bad thing by MikeRT · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This is going to be what is used most of the time:

    * Using welcoming and inclusive language

    What that actually means in practice is that you cannot safely go through someone's code review and leave honest comments that demonstrate that the product is fundamentally bad. Welcoming and inclusive refer to a specific emotion which is to make things as warm and bubbly and positive as you can. Well, a lot of the time you can't do that.

    What they want is to create for FOSS the same space they have in corporate America where HR, not line management, deals with things like personality conflicts that blow up. It's not going to make people polite, it's going to make people afraid to just be blunt with active, thin-skinned people who cannot stand to hear that their contribution is not good enough.

  19. Re:Am I missing something? by religionofpeas · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't see why somebody's gender or sexual preferences even need to come up in the first place on a mailing list discussing technical issues about the code.

  20. Re:Am I missing something? by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1, Insightful

    "We don't care what you are, what you do, or what your opinions are. Just show us the code. If it's good, we'll take it. If it's not, we'll see what we can salvage"

    Linux isn't a monolithic block like that, where you anonymously submit patches and get an accept/reject response.

    Linux is a community of developers who cooperate to plan and develop features and ensure that they all integrate and operate well together. Many of the contributors are doing it for work. Most use their real names, and many attend conferences where they meet other members of the community in person.

    There have always been some rules about behaviour, just not well codified or enforced. Individual conferences and events often had their own. So it's not even new.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  21. Re:Code of Conduct - Exact Text by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    The entire world is turning into a bunch of androgenized homogenized pussies.
    Crybaby snowflake neuter boys running to their mamas and sucking on that nice warm teat.
    Feeble little girls never allowed access to a real man who show them how not to take shit from no man.
    Pussy this, wimp that, let's all get together in the coffee space for a nice hour long sob session and group cry. Oh mah fweelings Bwah bwah bwah.

    Shut the fuck up man up Fuck off and code.

  22. Re: fun game out of context, totally apropos: by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ever deal with a retard that thinks himself a genius? Sometimes being offensive is the only way to blow past the idiocy efficiently.

    --
    Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
  23. Re:Oh thank god by Reservoir+Penguin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well how many? And how many bullshit ideas were accepted because criticizing == triggering or worse denying "lived-in experience"?

    --
    US-UK-Israel: The real Axis of Evil
  24. Somebody Else's Problem by nagora · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The kernel is an engineering project. As such, meritocracy is the only sane way to run it - just like building bridges or ships - if your code is good then it's in, no matter who you are or what you or anyone else identifies you as. There's simply no reason to accept someone or their work if it's sub-standard no matter how hard their lives have been (or are perceived to have been).

    The issue of diversity is a social issue and has to be/needs to be solved elsewhere.

    --
    "Encyclopedia" is to "Wikipedia" what "Library" is to "Some people at a bus stop"
    1. Re:Somebody Else's Problem by ooloorie · · Score: 2, Insightful

      On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.

      Leftists who score high in the victim hierarchy are going to let you know whether you want to or not. That's so that they can then attribute anything negative you say to or about them to your supposed prejudice and bias.

  25. Re:Oh thank god by Crashmarik · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Your argument fails in the fact perhaps that guy with the man bun or a fedora and attended those code camps are actually a brilliant person who can really contribute.

    LOL

    Or you do want Linux coded by all guys with a short hair cut, suites, and has PHDs.

    Have. But you can haz cheezberger

    Coding is 25% intelligence and 75% effort.

    For bad programmers.

    What's really amazing is that you were too stupid to understand what the Fred Brooks software engineering links meant but you just tried to lecture someone who has been at it, longer than you have been alive.

    Yeah I see Linux doing real well now / sarcasm

  26. Re: fun game out of context, totally apropos: by lgw · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ou can be hard on developers without offending a group of people, who attributes are unrelated to the topic that needs to be corrected.

    Beautiful in theory. In practice, if a white male criticizes someone who isn't, the content of the criticism is irrelevant, and he's automatically a bigot. It's all political power games.

    Fingers crossed that Linux avoids "get woke; go broke", but if Linus stays away it could go rotten as so many other things have,

    --
    Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  27. Re: fun game out of context, totally apropos: by Penguinisto · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This, this right the fuck here.

    I've seen more than my share of soi-disant developer gods (who, well, weren't), and sometimes the only way to shut them the hell up and make them listen is to nuke their ego from orbit and use a few harsh words to drive the point home while you do it.

    This method works perfectly in the Military (has for literal centuries), and adapts nicely to the dev world.

    --
    Quo usque tandem abutere, Nimbus, patientia nostra?
  28. Re: Oh thank god by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How many brilliant ideas were ignored because the person suggesting it was an asshole?

    Exponentially more than the meek argument.

  29. Re:WTF is wrong with this? by sinij · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Social Justice Warriors advocate social justice in the same way as The National Socialist German Worker's Party advocated rights of Jewish workers in Germany.

  30. Re:Oh thank god by atriusofbricia · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Your argument fails in the fact perhaps that guy with the man bun or a fedora and attended those code camps are actually a brilliant person who can really contribute.

    Or you do want Linux coded by all guys with a short hair cut, suites, and has PHDs.

    Coding is 25% intelligence and 75% effort. If someone is willing to do the effort then they should be able to contribute, if their code is crap, then don't put it in. As their current contribution didn't meet the standards needed for this deployment.
    They should feel free to learn and try again, perhaps the next time they may have something brilliant.

    Good coding is a combination of experience and intelligence with a side of knowledge.

    If you think people won't be afraid to openly criticize code if it comes from *PROTECTED CLASS* when one is a member of *NOT-PROTECTED CLASS* then you've clearly not been paying attention to this part of the world.

    It'd be nice to be wrong with this. It'd be nice for the SJWs not to eat this. It'd be nice if merit and not other considerations was the only determining factor. It'd be nice. It'd also be surprising

    --
    I was raised on the command line, bitch

    "Nemo me impune lacesset"

  31. Re:Code of Conduct - Exact Text by atriusofbricia · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This Code of Conduct applies both within project spaces and in public spaces
    when an individual is representing the project or its community. Examples of
    representing a project or community include using an official project e-mail
    address, posting via an official social media account, or acting as an appointed
    representative at an online or offline event.

    Looks good. So if you are not acting on behalf of the project, use official project email for communication, or were officially appointed representative, then your conduct has no relationship with this. Extreme example - Nazi would still be able to contribute as long as Nazi-related speech is kept out of commits, discussions, mailing list, and group events.

    Representation of a project may be further defined and clarified by project maintainers.

    Ugh, what? Why bother defining the above applicability rules and then inserting this gigantic "scope is what project maintainers decide the scope is"? This seems like a huge flaw that has to be fixed.

    You've confused a feature with a bug. That isn't a flaw. That's entirely by design. It gives the impression of being defined, but ultimately allows it to be fudged however the political winds are blowing. Neat, no?

    --
    I was raised on the command line, bitch

    "Nemo me impune lacesset"

  32. Re:fun game out of context, totally apropos: by iMadeGhostzilla · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And this is why he's right:

    "So somebody isn't telling the truth here. Somebody is pushing complete garbage for unclear reasons. Sorry for having to point that out."

    He never trashes the human being, only the stupid thing they did, and people do stupid things and need feedback and correction. But the SJW culture has people focusing on their feelings and their fragile egos instead of what is being built.

  33. Re:Oh thank god by iMadeGhostzilla · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If he is too afraid to speak he can not be brilliant -- he hasn't had a chance to achieve brilliance without engaging with others and correcting, or standing his ground, based on their feedback.

  34. Re:Code of Conduct - Exact Text by johannesg · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Of the 'traditional freedoms', I find one missing: the right to a political opinion. But I think we all know where this is going to end: it will be open season on those who voted Trump, for example.

  35. Re:Code of Conduct - Exact Text by guruevi · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Actually, this is generally what happens to a project. It adopts a CoC or enough anonymous/SJW complaints are created, big contributors leave or are forced out, the project dies or slows because it is spending inane amounts of energy on political discussions rather than technical.

    It happened with NodeJS, Kubernetes, LLVM, Tor, Debian all of which are decent projects but kind of 'stuck' now that boards and bug lists are overrun by "complaints" rather than technical discussions. If the SJW's don't get their way, they fork the code, take a number of core developers and none of those forks have actually produced a decent competitor to their parent rather, some of them have spawned their own forks because SJW infighting. Instead of getting a better product, a bunch of energy and time is wasted.

    It's happening with Python and Linux now. Expect Linux to slow down immensely.

    --
    Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
  36. Re: Oh thank god by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Exactly, the snowflakes need to understand that criticizing their idea doesn't mean that they as a person are being abused.

    But too many people these days think they've been insulted just because someone doesn't agree with them.

  37. Re:fun game out of context, totally apropos: by huckamania · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Thanks for the edit, but most adults, and even some children, can do this on their own, usually while in the act of reading.

    Interesting that your sig is labeling anyone who uses the term SJW a fuckwit. I almost self-edited that out. But that's okay cause being consistent is not in any way a trait of progressives.

  38. It's over by Ignatius · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The extremists from the left, the cultural Marxists, the SJWs have so far destroyed anything they got their hands on: Academia, schools, the media. Linux will be no exception.

    If there is any doubt on their agenda, read "The Post-Meritocracy Manifesto", but in fact, the title says it all. What we're experiencing is a Maoist cultural revolution and the new mob rulers will install themselves in each and every corner of society.

  39. Re:Oh thank god by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Not at all. A lot of the best parts of the kernel started out buggy and were then improved from prototype level by a number of different people. Very few parts were written by one person and delivered as a flawless fait accompli patch.

    In fact the original CoC noted that almost no patches are accepted first time without changes. And Linus has reversed direction a number of times on things he realized he was wrong about.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  40. Re: fun game out of context, totally apropos: by Obfuscant · · Score: 5, Insightful

    and sometimes the only way to shut them the hell up and make them listen is to nuke their ego from orbit and use a few harsh words to drive the point home while you do it.

    There is an old leadership principle which goes something like "praise in public, criticize in private".

    If your goal is to "nuke someone's ego", then you can do that in private. When you do it in public you 1) look like a dick, and 2) scare away people who very well may have good ideas but don't care to deal with your arrogant and insulting outbursts. Volunteers have a limited amount of time, and a lot of them already understand that wasting their time participating in a system where they can expect to get their ego "nuked" isn't worth it to them.

    No, the goal of someone who uses "a few harsh words" in public to criticize others isn't to deal with that one person, it's to demonstrate their own power and scare off anyone else who would dare challenge it.

    This method works perfectly in the Military

    That you think a software development project has the same needs and concerns as a group where people can be and are ordered to their death, and failure to obey orders can result in other people dying, is interesting. The fact that we are having this discussion shows that no, it does not adapt "nicely" to the software development world. And "nicely" may have been deliberately ironic on your part, but I doubt it.

  41. Re: fun game out of context, totally apropos: by BeanThere · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yup, for something like kernel dev you need strong leadership/management, like Linus was, until he somehow got confused weakness is a virtue.

  42. Re: fun game out of context, totally apropos: by Obfuscant · · Score: 2, Insightful

    you need strong leadership/management

    You are confusing "strong leadership" with "be an asshole and denigrate your followers". The two are not synonymous. In fact, those who feel the need to do the latter to be leaders truly are not strong leaders.

  43. Re:Code of Conduct - Exact Text by sinij · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Linux Community isn't a social network, support group, or law enforcement organization. It has a clearly defined purpose - to produce Linux kernel of best possible quality in shortest amount of time. You are trying to subvert and re-purpose this organization to suit your priorities and in doing so you are presuming to impose your values and your priorities on others. You are welcome to fork Linux and focus forked project on your specific list of priorities.

  44. Re: fun game out of context, totally apropos: by HornWumpus · · Score: 4, Insightful

    James Damour. Fired for being right.

    --
    John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
  45. Bluntness is not permitted by MikeRT · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's possible to be blunt without being offensive:

    What part of this are you not getting?

    * Using welcoming and inclusive language

    Being blunt, no matter how civil, is not "welcoming and inclusive." As I said: welcoming and inclusive refer to a specific emotion which is to make things as warm and bubbly and positive as you can.

    You are reading this through your "reasonable person" glasses, not through the glasses of the sort of person that actively pushes codes of conduct on every project bigger than a 1000 LOC and 1 maintainer.

    As it stands, I agree with you, but that's not relevant here because your normal, sane reading is not what the activists intend to use.

  46. Re:fun game out of context, totally apropos: by The+Cynical+Critic · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The fact that you actually take issue with things as tiny as Linus calling patches he's explained how they've been badly done "garbage" and what they do "insane" or using the expression of drinking the cool-aid when people refuse to see legitimate problems.

    It's one thing to go on one of his really early rants about how he's amazed someone hasn't gotten themselves decapitated by a door and the hypersensitive language policing you're doing. If you really can't stand something as tiny as the slightly harsh language relating to a very serious set of issues then I recommend you get off the internet for a few weeks and try to put your life into perspective because if something as tiny as that irks you, then your priorities could use some re-organizing or you've got a really easy life.

    --
    "Why should I want to make anything up? Life's bad enough as it is without wanting to invent any more of it."
  47. Re: Oh thank god by jd · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The standards are clear. Code is to be judged by quality and not by submitter.

    I'm guessing the shrill screams are from those who can't compete on merit.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  48. Re: fun game out of context, totally apropos: by gweihir · · Score: 1, Insightful

    The reason you rip someone a new one in front of other people is so that you don't have to do it in private again and again to the other people. I learned this in Basic Training. I got ripped for a mistake and nobody else ever made that mistake again. I figured this out immediately and didn't take it personally.

    And that makes you an adult. The SJW scum that want to eliminate all harsh language by force are not.

    --
    Most ACs are not even worth the keystrokes to insult them. Be generically insulted by this and ignored otherwise.
  49. Re:Code of Conduct - Exact Text by guruevi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You don't see a clear trend in the graph you've provided? Contributions are trending upwards until the CoC is introduced, then they trend downwards until someone quits. I don't think we have enough data to see what the effect on the main contributors quitting is but you can see similar trends in other projects.

    I'm not saying LLVM is dead, but as someone else said, there is a huge brain drain BACK to GCC which was the entire reason people jumped onto LLVM.

    Same for NodeJS, there too you can see a huge difference, even though the number of contributors has risen, the number of commits goes down. Parts of this has to do that the SJW's split off NodeJS (a fork that is now dead), the leadership thought this was an issue back then, in a panic introduced a CoC which allowed the SJW to persecute another developer, the SJW then split it onto Ayo (now also dead). This drama keeps people from using their free time to do what they want as far as contributions and now they have to deal with leftist politics, it saps people from working on the core projects because either they start working on a fork that doesn't pan out or they just stay away from the drama.

    I am a firm believer in free speech. Don't like what someone has to say, then ignore them. Persecutions and witch hunts kill organizations. I've seen it happen locally in various settings too, various clubs are dying because everyone has to introduce 'safe spaces' and falls over each other not to hurt someone's feelings.

    --
    Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com