Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Linus Torvalds Back in Charge of Linux

zdnet.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 139 posts

Re: Linus Torvalds Back in Charge of Linux

#91

Post by weliketocode »

cesarb wrote: post #82
pandapower2 wrote: post #12

I don't know what I thought would happen exactly but when he said he was taking time away I certainly imagined it would be a lot longer than a month.

To me on the other hand, it was obvious that he would be back as soon as 4.19 was released and the 4.20 merge window opened (the kernel release cycle has two phases, the merge window where new features and the bulk of the changes come in, and a phase where only bug fixes are supposed to come in). He took advantage of the time when the merge window was closed, since it's a less hectic period, and handed over maintenan…

That's impressive foresight.

Why did Linus make such fanfare about his departure if it was always intended to be so short?

Re: Linus Torvalds Back in Charge of Linux

#92

Post by chroma »

aninhumer wrote: post #75
chroma wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Look at the examples of CVs/books sent around with just the name/gender changed and the huge difference in response rate to see the bias. That's not true. The original studies used low class names for blacks and hispanics, but not for whites. (For example, they didn't use names like Cletus or Billy Ray.) Once this was corrected for, they found almost no bias in resume screening.[1] 1. https://economics.missouri.edu…

So looking at their methodology, they chose the "high class" black names ("Anderson" and "Thompson") (EDIT: I misread, these aren't the black names) based on census proportions, but that doesn't necessarily mean those names are actually read as "black" by most people. Moreover, using census results ignores exposure to foreigners with these names. My own strongest association for "Thompson" is the white police officer…

You misread the paper. The surnames Anderson and Thompson have white connotations, while Jefferson and Washington have black connotations. The researchers backed up their choices with data. From page 3:

> For example, based on data from the United States Census, 90 and 75 percent of individuals with Washington and Jefferson surnames are African American, respectively. Similarly, 90 percent of individuals with a surname of either Hernandez or Garcia are Hispanic, and 70 percent of Andersons and Thompsons are white.

Re: Linus Torvalds Back in Charge of Linux

#93

Post by aninhumer »

jf- wrote: post #90
aninhumer wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>If someone helps you live when otherwise you're going to die, you should tolerate more of his weirdness. Yes, if someone has control over your life or death, you should probably do what they say. That is what most people call "violent coercion". >You either believe in capitalism and thus meritocracy as its twin, or neither. Well, quite...

>If someone helps you live when otherwise you're going to die >That is what most people call “violent coercion”. Really? Is it? There’s no point in continuing here, I’m afraid we’re too far apart to gain anything from this discussion. Have a good day.

If they can choose not to help they're not "helping you to live", they're choosing not to kill you.

And if they choose whether to kill you based on whether you do what they want, that's violent coercion.

Re: Linus Torvalds Back in Charge of Linux

#94

Post by aninhumer »

chongli wrote: post #88
aninhumer wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Life creates a power dynamic which can be abused in this way. And such dynamics should be acknowledged and opposed wherever they exist. >Have some minimal set of rules Except as I said, these rules are frequently ignored or applied less fairly in one way or another for those with "merit".

And such dynamics should be acknowledged and opposed wherever they exist. Power itself can't be opposed. By definition, opposition doesn't exist without power. Abuse can be opposed and to some extent mitigated but it's not at all a static game. When you build walls humans go around them, climb over them, dig under them, or break through them. There is no wall that one person can build that another cannot overcome.

I said power dynamics (i.e. power imbalances) should be opposed, not the abstract concept of power itself.

Re: Linus Torvalds Back in Charge of Linux

#95

Post by AnIdiotOnTheNet »

carlmr wrote: post #3

I really wonder what's going to happen to Linux once Linus is gone. I think we've seen now that just a week after he took a break the community started falling apart rapidly.

Very first thing? Kernel ABI becomes unstable, thus securing Linux's position as the OS most incompatible with itself.

Re: Linus Torvalds Back in Charge of Linux

#96

Post by notyourday »

chroma wrote: post #33
m_mueller wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> who believes meritocracy is racist and sexist Is it bad that nowadays I've trouble identifying whether this kind of categorization is redpillers bile or an accurate representation of an increasingly dominant extreme left? Would you have a quote from that lady, and if correct, how did she get in the position of writing Linux COC?

Here’s one: https://twitter.com/CoralineAda/status/874642259672801280 > “Meritocracy” is just thinly veiled misogyny and white supremacy propping up fragile cis het white men’s egos. Or https://twitter.com/CoralineAda/status/1029952846492565504 > “Reverse racism” is such a weird phrase for “justice”. Or https://twitter.com/CoralineAda/status/823064825366360065 > Why didn’t anyone punch the reporter giving the nazi ai…

Those who can write code. Those who can't whine about their inability to write code.

Re: Linus Torvalds Back in Charge of Linux

#97

Post by aninhumer »

chroma wrote: post #92
aninhumer wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So looking at their methodology, they chose the "high class" black names ("Anderson" and "Thompson") (EDIT: I misread, these aren't the black names) based on census proportions, but that doesn't necessarily mean those names are actually read as "black" by most people. Moreover, using census results ignores exposure to foreigners with these names. My own strongest association for "Thompson" is the white police officer…

You misread the paper. The surnames Anderson and Thompson have white connotations, while Jefferson and Washington have black connotations. The researchers backed up their choices with data. From page 3: > For example, based on data from the United States Census, 90 and 75 percent of individuals with Washington and Jefferson surnames are African American, respectively. Similarly, 90 percent of individuals with a surna…

Ah yes, you're correct, I got confused by the first-name/surname thing.

I would still question the validity of this approach, and more generally, I don't think you can meaningfully isolate class and race, since they're so inter-related in the US.

They acknowledge that the names may not be strong signals, but the very reason that's the case is that people are less likely to associate black people with high socioeconomic status in the first place.

Re: Linus Torvalds Back in Charge of Linux

#98

Post by navane »

joshuamorton wrote: post #11
carlmr wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I read about was Kernel contributors having some friction with the CoC. That got blown up by the press a bit, but it wasn't only the press.

That was just because the CoC was updated at the same time that Linus left. There would have been CoC controversy if Linus had never left.

You might have hit the nail on the head here.

The belgian king once resigned for a single day so the parliament could pass a law on abortion.

Could Linus have pulled of a similiar stunt?

https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/05/world/belgian-king-unable...

Re: Linus Torvalds Back in Charge of Linux

#99

Post by Marazan »

sheepmullet wrote: post #77
Marazan wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it's about how many so called meritocracies are not actually meritocracies and instead are nepotistic circle jerks of self reinforcing bad behaviour. That people think it is about enforcing equal outcome shows how threatened they are by the idea that maybe they didn't get where they are by being brilliant but by being a mediocre straight white male promoted and supported by other mediocre straight white males.

> but by being a mediocre straight white male promoted and supported by other mediocre straight white males. That sounds kind of nice actually. If that was actually the case why would the mediocre straight white male feel threatened? Honestly that would be a pretty powerful safety net.

The thing that is threatening to them is having the concept of 'meritocracy' rumbled and exposed as an unclothed emporer for all to see.

Re: Linus Torvalds Back in Charge of Linux

#100

Post by Marazan »

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #59
Marazan wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it's about how many so called meritocracies are not actually meritocracies and instead are nepotistic circle jerks of self reinforcing bad behaviour. That people think it is about enforcing equal outcome shows how threatened they are by the idea that maybe they didn't get where they are by being brilliant but by being a mediocre straight white male promoted and supported by other mediocre straight white males.

Do you think it's actually possible to convey this same meaning without denigrating somebody ?

The only people that denigrated it people so thoroughly wrapped in their own privilege they lack the critical reasoning skills to accurately assess their own capabilities and see the risk of genuinely being judged on their capability as frightening.
Post reply on HN