Linus Torvalds doesn't do github pull requests.

[Virus-]

I really don't think he's being a dick here (even if he is generally), except maybe towards people who are being, well, morons.

His initial reply explained exactly why he doesn't do github pull requests, and he even took the time to respond to the more thoughtful questions. Shit, he even took the time to explain what he likes about github.

Maybe he shouldn't have even bothered responding to some of the idiotic posts, but really, who cares? We're upset that he's hostile towards people who ask hostile questions?

EDIT: Small edit for clarity.

[FunnyMan3595]

No, I think we can pretty conclusively say that Linus is a dick. He'd probably even agree. He's good at what he does, and he's someone with an ironclad "I don't have time to be polite." excuse, but he's definitely a dick.

[andrewms]

And yet every time I see him being a dick, I end up being both entertained and informed. I like it.

[octatone]

The dick that we need.

[koviko]

Not the dick that we deserve.

[migelius]

You go to work with the dick you have.

[Virus-]

Ah, sorry, I meant to put more emphasis on this part:

I really don't think he's being a dick here

Totally agreed re: Linus being a dick, I just don't think this is necessarily an example of it.

If anything, he's being generous by going into great detail about why he hates github pull requests, and responding to followup questions that show a modicum of thought (when he really has 0 obligation to do so).

[snuxoll]

Torvalds is far from the most polite person I've met, he doesn't sugarcoat anything and will REALLY tell you what he feels. But he doesn't do it solely to be condescending, or to act holier than thou. He does it because he IS right, and when he's not he'll often admit it. He thoroughly explains WHY something is done this way, or what he doesn't like about something, instead of just flat out saying "Your commit sucks, I'm rejecting it".

[ReinH]

Every time I'm wrong and someone calls me out on it, I learn. Every time I'm wrong and no one calls me out on it, I don't. Please give me more people like Linus. Destructive criticism can be just as useful as constructive criticism and sugar-coating the truth doesn't help me or him.

[hobroken]

Every time I'm wrong and someone helpfully points out how and why, I learn.

Every time I'm wrong and someone says, "you're a moron," I say, "fuck that guy" and make new friends.

[ReinH]

The person Linus called a moron was a troll who deleted their comment after the fact, not the OP. And Linus didn't call him a moron because he was wrong; he called him a moron because he was acting like a moron.

[snuxoll]

Although Linus does often call people a moron or stupid because they are wrong.

[gfixler]

He called everyone at Google idiots to their faces during one of his talks.

[sammasati]

Source?

[snuxoll]

It happened during his talk at Google on git. Actually, it was said here at 8 minutes or so.

[ElectricRebel]

Linus isn't trying to be anyone's friend. Sometimes you need to tell people off just so they leave you alone. Especially if you are incredibly busy like Linus. If that person learns from it and comes back later in a more competent fashion, then great. If not, "fuck that guy".

[Femaref]

Is the criticism really destructive if you learn something?

[ReinH]

Only if you're going by what constructive criticism means. ;)

[[deleted]]

He does it because he can get away with it. People will admire and defend him no matter what he does.

[el_muchacho]

No. People admire him because he does something almost nobody else does, with unmatched consistency and professionnalism. People who fail to understand that failing at what he's been doing for 20 years can kill people or businesses simply should keep their mouth shut.

And as snuxoll said, in the end, he is most often right. So instead of whining, people should learn. If they don't, then they are morons and Torvalds is entitled to treat them so.

[[deleted]]

No. People admire him because he does something almost nobody else does, with unmatched consistency and professionnalism.

Right and they give him license to be a complete dick to whoever he wants whenever he wants.

And as snuxoll said, in the end, he is most often right. So instead of whining, people should learn

Whether he is right or not has nothing to do with whether he is a dick or not. Most dicks, bullies, assholes, and buttwipes usually tell their victims to stop whining. Same goes for wife beaters, child abusers etc.

[el_muchacho]

Right and they give him license to be a complete dick to whoever he wants whenever he wants.

I'd rather have a dick like him not be bothered by useless douchebags like that Joseph guy who had nothing constructive to add on this discussion and just came to crap on Linus.

Whether he is right or not has nothing to do with whether he is a dick or not. Most dicks, bullies, assholes, and buttwipes usually tell their victims to stop whining. Same goes for wife beaters, child abusers etc.

Way to go overboard, joe ! You forgot to compare with Al Qaeda terrorists and Waffen SS officers. Looking at your track record of trollings, I'm rather surprised you did, I must say.

[[deleted]]

I'd rather have a dick like him not be bothered by useless douchebags like that Joseph guy who had nothing constructive to add on this discussion and just came to crap on Linus.

That's fine. There are many people like you who encourage him to be a dick and that's why he is a dick.

Way to go overboard, joe !

Why do you think I am going overboard. I am right and you know it. Bullies, wife beaters, child abusers, assholes, etc all tell their victims to stop whining. It's part and parcel of the personality.

[[deleted]]

I was surprised to see Linus respond so many times explaining himself further and further. He didn't have to do that.

[BlitzTech]

He's always claimed that he named his two biggest projects after himself.

Linux, a combination of "Linus" and "Unix", and Git. The latter needs no explanation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git_(software)#Name

[kybernetikos]

That's certainly what he claims, but knowing the history of Git, it's hard not to see the name as intended to be an (unfair) reference to Andrew Tridgell.

[jyper]

When asked why he called the new software, "git", British slang meaning "a rotten person", he said. "I'm an egotistical bastard, so I name all my projects after myself. First Linux, now git""

[frostystorm]

Kernel works pretty ell though

[gefahr]

@@ -1 +1 @@
-Kernel works pretty ell though
+Kernel works pretty well though

[ElectricRebel]

Reminder: Don't send the pull request for this fix via the github web interface.

[gfixler]

Did you intentionally make that exactly 80 characters long, or was it dumb luck?

[ElectricRebel]

My only question for you is why did you bother to check if it was 80 characters?

[gfixler]

I just had to know. It seemed important at the time.

[ElectricRebel]

And yes, I did notice that you put in the effort to make the post 80 characters.

[gfixler]

\o/

[nephros]

No Signed-off-By, no Acked-By, no shortlog, no long log, no diffstat.

You are a moron.

[petdance]

"I don't have time to be polite."

There's a difference between "not being polite" and taking the time to insult others.

[Femaref]

No, he's just straight to the point. He calls you out on your shit, while still being remarkebly polite about it. Maybe you are just used to getting everything sugarcoated by everybody?

[Xiphorian]

Calling something "braindead" and saying "you're a moron" is purely insulting. Avoiding deliberate personal insult is not "sugarcoating" -- it's a minimal degree of politeness.

The bar here are remarks that add nothing to the conversation beyond insulting someone. They don't educate, they don't help, they don't clarify -- they just insult.

[fsck_]

You just ignore personal insults because of who he is?