What prompted Linus to take a step back?

Story: After Years of Abusive E-mails, the Creator of Linux Steps AsideTotal Replies: 14
Author Content
penguinist

Sep 22, 2018
11:41 AM EDT
1. Linus is in recent years being paid by the Linux Foundation.

2. The Linux Foundation dropped community membership years ago in favor of an all-corporate council.

3. Key members (platinum financial contributors) to the Linux Foundation include Microsoft, Intel, Oracle, and Google.

4. Linus says that he was influenced to take a step back.

So, who influenced Linus and to what end?

seatex

Sep 22, 2018
1:40 PM EDT
Linus has been embraced now, and we know what phase comes next...
Heather

Sep 22, 2018
2:51 PM EDT
Linus Torvalds wrote:This week people in our community confronted me about my lifetime of not understanding emotions. My flippant attacks in emails have been both unprofessional and uncalled for. Especially at times when I made it personal. In my quest for a better patch, this made sense to me. I know now this was not OK and I am truly sorry.
Quoted from Linus' email https://lkml.org/lkml/2018/9/16/167

I had to chuckle though when he got to this part:
Linus Torvalds wrote:Maybe I can get an email filter in place so at when I send email with curse-words, they just won't go out. Because hey, I'm a big believer in tools, and at least _some_ problems going forward might be improved with simple automation.
That is just so typical of Linus to go straight to the technical solution. I love it!

Linus is still my hero.

flufferbeer

Sep 22, 2018
5:28 PM EDT
@Heather,

Here again is one of the more popular "Developers" video-rants of that notorious white male villian(in the Linux camp), https://youtu.be/KMU0tzLwhbE

Anybody here still remember that?? Note from the video's audience coverage how VERY FEW women (if any?) were present at this M$ Developers Conference!

2c
jdixon

Sep 22, 2018
8:17 PM EDT
> So, who influenced Linus and to what end?

In addition to all of the above, some have suggested his daughter.

Regardless, it's very difficult for grown men to change their work styles, and Linus and his work style are what have made the kernel what it is. This will not end well.
jdixon

Sep 23, 2018
5:35 AM EDT
Further comments on the matter: https://lulz.com/linux-devs-threaten-killswitch-coc-controve...
bob

Sep 23, 2018
8:19 AM EDT
@jdixon: posted your link to the newswire.
jdixon

Sep 24, 2018
5:47 AM EDT
Thanks, Bob. I probably should have thought of that.
caitlyn

Sep 30, 2018
12:09 PM EDT
First, good for Linus Torvalds. It turns out he is an adult in the room. Some of the community responses have been, well... disgusting, horrendous, shocking... I don't even know which words to use and I am rarely if ever speechless. I've been writing about sexism in IT, in Open Source, and in Linux for years and years. Y'all know where I come down on this.

Oh, and for Heather, yeah, I've never stopped admiring Linus and what he's accomplished. It's good to see that he has taken some constructive criticism to heart. He'll be back in charge soon enough.
skelband

Oct 02, 2018
12:15 PM EDT
What has sexism got to do with this story? Who has accused Linus of sexism *or* misogyny? Honestly Caitlyn, if a dog barked, you would call it a sexist.

skelband

Oct 02, 2018
12:27 PM EDT
And lest anyone wonder why these developments are a *really bad idea*, hardly a day has gone by before the pitchforks are out:

https://mjg59.dreamwidth.org/18505.html

This Code of Conduct will and *is* encouraging the worst excesses of the Internet community. From a Linux community environment where nobody gave a hoot about your gender or sexual orientation as long as you could write decent code, we will now see a virtue signalling parade of disgruntled Internet personalities emerge from the woodwork to bring it all tumbling down.
caitlyn

Oct 02, 2018
10:43 PM EDT
"Who has accused Linus of sexism *or* misogyny?" Do you want me to compile a list? It wouldn't be a short list but I think you know that already.

The Code of Conduct was long, long, long overdue and I believe Linus' decision has to do with it. He realized treating people better was necessary and good.

"From a Linux community environment where nobody gave a hoot about your gender or sexual orientation as long as you could write decent code," If you believe that is what we have had then you are deliberately and willfully blind.

"we will now see a virtue signalling parade of disgruntled Internet personalities emerge from the woodwork to bring it all tumbling down. " Equality, in the Linux community? Oh, the horror! Nice right wing talking point. You don't expect me to actually believe that, do you?
jdixon

Oct 03, 2018
8:56 AM EDT
> Do you want me to compile a list? It wouldn't be a short list but I think you know that already.

I'm sure it wouldn't be. The fact that there's no basis for a claim has never stopped anyone from making it. Everyone saw that play out just last week on national TV.

> You don't expect me to actually believe that, do you?

Believe the truth when it contradicts your narrative? Perish the thought.
jdixon

Oct 22, 2018
9:40 PM EDT
Since the topic at hand is actually the effect of codes of conduct, the SQLite code of conduct seems apropos: https://www.sqlite.org/codeofconduct.html
Heather

Oct 22, 2018
10:56 PM EDT
I'm just happy the Linus is back in the saddle.

He's still my hero!

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