- Linus Torvalds criticized a Google contributor on the Linux kernel mailing list for his suggestions about filesystems.
- The debate centered around the use of inodes as unique identifiers for metadata on a filesystem.
- Torvalds’s strong language and tone in his response to the contributor were reminiscent of his past flippant attacks, for which he previously apologized.
Archive link: https://archive.ph/LP24s
Harsh tone (in only two instances?), but he still invested in offering suggestions 🤷
I expected more behind the verb “flaming”.
Well, “YOUR CODE IS GARBAGE” seems like flaming.
You, send the same message without this and it achieves exactly the same thing without the “taking it all out on someone” part 🤷
Disagree. The hostility expresses frustration and indicates recognition of a long term pattern, and emphasizes the gravity of Torvalds’s observation.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pro-abuse – while the hostility does contribute to the content, that doesn’t mean it will have the desired effect. Some people get a fire lit under them when they experience that kind of feedback; others get defensive or heated or hurt, and those people are NOT motivated effectively – and it can cause lasting harm.
The key of it is: group B will not learn and grow from this approach; they’ll learn and grow from a more cool headed approach. Group A, however, will grow from either approach. Therefore, the cool headed approach is preferable.
He stopped doing that a few years ago.