If I say “your code is garbage” would you really say I’m not attacking you? I don’t think most people would accept that. The CoC mentions being welcoming, inclusive, respectful, empathetic, not insulting or attacking people or being unprofessional. Linus violates all of those! Of the 10 bullet points there he violates 6 of them!!
IMO this is a big issue with CoCs. They give cowardly justification for arbitrary dictatorial actions. It’s much better to admit that it’s a dictatorship.
I agree with the rest of your comment - it’s clearly worth putting up with his arseholery given how important to the project he is.
I’ve always said CoCs are often just a false flag used to handwave dictatorship behavior away while hiding behind colorful interpretations of subjective terminology.
I do think there’s a difference. It’s an established communication rule: criticize the behavior, not the individual. But, I don’t disagree that Linus is an abrasive personality, because he is.
Yes that is a good rule but the problem is he doesn’t just respectfully criticise behaviour, he rudely attacks it. “This code doesn’t meet the standards we require” is ok. “Your code is garbage. Again!” is absolutely not.
Imagine if you said that at work. That’s a trip to HR anywhere I’ve worked.
I agree, but if you look at the specific email linked, it very clearly crosses the line into direct abuse, whereas most of Linus’s rants do exist in a slightly greyer area (even if they’d be grounds for a discussion with HR at an actual company).
If I say “your code is garbage” would you really say I’m not attacking you? I don’t think most people would accept that. The CoC mentions being welcoming, inclusive, respectful, empathetic, not insulting or attacking people or being unprofessional. Linus violates all of those! Of the 10 bullet points there he violates 6 of them!!
IMO this is a big issue with CoCs. They give cowardly justification for arbitrary dictatorial actions. It’s much better to admit that it’s a dictatorship.
I agree with the rest of your comment - it’s clearly worth putting up with his arseholery given how important to the project he is.
I’ve always said CoCs are often just a false flag used to handwave dictatorship behavior away while hiding behind colorful interpretations of subjective terminology.
I do think there’s a difference. It’s an established communication rule: criticize the behavior, not the individual. But, I don’t disagree that Linus is an abrasive personality, because he is.
Yes that is a good rule but the problem is he doesn’t just respectfully criticise behaviour, he rudely attacks it. “This code doesn’t meet the standards we require” is ok. “Your code is garbage. Again!” is absolutely not.
Imagine if you said that at work. That’s a trip to HR anywhere I’ve worked.
Completely agree. I guess it’s a perk of being Benevolent(?) Dictator for Life.
I agree, but if you look at the specific email linked, it very clearly crosses the line into direct abuse, whereas most of Linus’s rants do exist in a slightly greyer area (even if they’d be grounds for a discussion with HR at an actual company).