Linux Format forums

Re: Thank Linus?

Rhakios — Wed Oct 10, 2012 7:03 pm

Author: Rhakios

Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2012 7:03 pm

M-Saunders wrote:

And I've not met Linus, but I assume he's a lot less imposing then the mighty RMS. I mean, there's a lot to thank RMS for too, but whereas Linus seems like the affable, pragmatic geek you could have a beer with, RMS embodies a whole political movement (with all its associated controversies).

And I was scared that I'd have to sing the Free Software Song

M

Which pretty much sums up what I was thinking, but being careful not to put into words, lest I express it somewhat less tactfully.
Still, I see Graham drops a "thanks" to RMS in his latest editorial. Now I just dare someone to say it to his face.

Re: Thank Linus?

M-Saunders — Sun Sep 16, 2012 9:26 am

Author: M-Saunders

Posted: Sun Sep 16, 2012 9:26 am

graham wrote:

I've not met RMS (Mike has got some good stories to tell about his experience), but under similar circumstances, I don't see why I wouldn't feel compelled to say the same thing.

Re: Thank Linus?

Marrea — Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:22 pm

Author: Marrea

Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:22 pm

I�m probably going to get pilloried something rotten for saying this, but I was disappointed to come across some rather questionable language in the interview. Not what I would expect from a quality publication like LXF. I�m surprised the editor let it pass.

Re: Thank Linus?

graham — Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:15 am

Author: graham

Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:15 am

That 'thanks Linus' moment was a little awkward, because, I think you're right right, Nuke; I'm not sure whether he cared about it or not. He certainly emphasised that he never started the project for other people, or for the acclaim it might bring.

But that's the kind of person I am. It had been a difficult morning and the build-up to the arrangements were awkward. It wasn't pre-meditated or anything like that. I simply wanted to say 'thanks' for the reasons outlined in the Welcome page.

I've not met RMS (Mike has got some good stories to tell about his experience), but under similar circumstances, I don't see why I wouldn't feel compelled to say the same thing.

But that's starting to make me sound like a compulsive 'geek thanker'

Re: Thank Linus?

Nuke — Mon Sep 10, 2012 10:40 pm

Author: Nuke

Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 10:40 pm

I do not think that people like RMS or Linus need, or even appreciate, thanking. They are basially geeks.

People like actors and mainstream politicians have a psychological make up that requires thanking every day, or several times a day - that is partly why they choose a job wherein they get frequent applause. OTOH a geek can work for years with no thanks (or even receive abuse) and it does not worry them - in fact getting thanked disturbs them.

That does not mean that we cannot recognise or discuss who is or was responsible for this or that technical advance.

Re: Thank Linus?

johnhudson — Mon Sep 10, 2012 10:10 pm

Author: johnhudson

Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 10:10 pm

Not equally because, having met RMS personally, I didn't find his approach as compelling.

We owe a lot to a lot of people of whom RMS is one and I would like to thank them all but I suspect that some of the most impotant contibutors may never be widely known

Thank Linus?

Rhakios — Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:04 pm

Author: Rhakios

Posted: Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:04 pm

The latest issue arrived today and, as usual, I had a quick glance through it and read Graham's editorial at the front. Here he tells us how he felt compelled to thank Linus for making computers relevant to him again, after being obliged to suffer an early encounter with Windows and Dos.
I wonder, does anyone ever feel equally compelled to thank RMS when they meet him? It seems to me that the Linux kernel without GNU and the GPL would not have given Graham, or indeed any of us, the operating system and software environment we all love to tinker with, praise and complain about.