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25 Years Later: Interview with Linus Torvalds

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Re: 25 Years Later: Interview with Linus Torvalds

#11

Post by Icyphox »

bch wrote: post #8
eljimmy wrote: post #2

Linus’ view on anonymity was surprising to read. I’m not sure I agree with him on that but his view on social media being a platform for the lowest common denominator sure seems agreeable.

He’s essentially a performer/personality though, and I’m inclined to say his answer is a self-serving performance itself. It would be fine, except that he writes out people who have valid reasons for anonymity - from “i feel like it”, on up. I’m personally not fussed by Linus’ antics, but cringe thinking about sensitive people, maybe still forming their personalities or sense of self, looking up to him. Hard to argue…

> He even punts on a softball question and makes it about himself

It was his interview, asking him for his opinions and takes. I feel like that’s a perfectly valid answer.

Re: 25 Years Later: Interview with Linus Torvalds

#12

Post by groundCode »

ben165 wrote: post #3

>Bob: Is there any advice you'd like to give to young programmers/computer science students? >Linus: I'm actually the worst person to ask. I knew I was interested in math and computers since an early age, and I was largely self-taught until university. And everything I did was fairly self-driven. So I don't understand the problems people face when they say "what should I do?" It's not where I came from at all. This i…

I think it goes both ways. Yes the student has to expend effort to understand, but teachers can make a huge difference. With Stackoverflow, I think often the simple questions point to a possibility that technical documentation isn’t all that beginner friendly. That and a lack of good examples in many tech docs. Good questions answered by good teachers can be an amazing shortcut to better understanding.

> But it’s more your own lack if you’re not able to imagine these thing inside your mind by yourself

Maybe that in itself is a taught skill?

Disraeli said “the fool wonders, the wise man asks”

Re: 25 Years Later: Interview with Linus Torvalds

#14

Post by tannhaeuser »

ben165 wrote: post #3

>Bob: Is there any advice you'd like to give to young programmers/computer science students? >Linus: I'm actually the worst person to ask. I knew I was interested in math and computers since an early age, and I was largely self-taught until university. And everything I did was fairly self-driven. So I don't understand the problems people face when they say "what should I do?" It's not where I came from at all. This i…

The influence of Big Media may show its power here. Back in the early web, we had lots of unprofessional sites with valuable information created by freaks who were doing it out of passion. Now we have hundreds of "How to create microservices on X cloud with k8s" promotionals leaving out the background bits and catering to the naive.

Re: 25 Years Later: Interview with Linus Torvalds

#15

Post by HlessClaudesman »

groundCode wrote: post #12
ben165 wrote: post #3

>Bob: Is there any advice you'd like to give to young programmers/computer science students? >Linus: I'm actually the worst person to ask. I knew I was interested in math and computers since an early age, and I was largely self-taught until university. And everything I did was fairly self-driven. So I don't understand the problems people face when they say "what should I do?" It's not where I came from at all. This i…

I think it goes both ways. Yes the student has to expend effort to understand, but teachers can make a huge difference. With Stackoverflow, I think often the simple questions point to a possibility that technical documentation isn’t all that beginner friendly. That and a lack of good examples in many tech docs. Good questions answered by good teachers can be an amazing shortcut to better understanding. > But it’s mor…

We are the sum of all the questions we have asked.

Re: 25 Years Later: Interview with Linus Torvalds

#16

Post by black-tea »

ben165 wrote: post #3

>Bob: Is there any advice you'd like to give to young programmers/computer science students? >Linus: I'm actually the worst person to ask. I knew I was interested in math and computers since an early age, and I was largely self-taught until university. And everything I did was fairly self-driven. So I don't understand the problems people face when they say "what should I do?" It's not where I came from at all. This i…

Completely agree (with you and Linus). I keep seeing these special programmes to try to get certain groups of people into programming. But the computers are right there. If they were interested they would have done it already. I wish people would stop trying to get people into this who really aren't interested in anything but the money.

Re: 25 Years Later: Interview with Linus Torvalds

#17

Post by adwn »

bch wrote: post #8
eljimmy wrote: post #2

Linus’ view on anonymity was surprising to read. I’m not sure I agree with him on that but his view on social media being a platform for the lowest common denominator sure seems agreeable.

He’s essentially a performer/personality though, and I’m inclined to say his answer is a self-serving performance itself. It would be fine, except that he writes out people who have valid reasons for anonymity - from “i feel like it”, on up. I’m personally not fussed by Linus’ antics, but cringe thinking about sensitive people, maybe still forming their personalities or sense of self, looking up to him. Hard to argue…

> He even punts on a softball question and makes it about himself

That's because it was about himself! Bob asked him for his advice.

> how about “have fun, exercise and stay healthy and dive in!”

That's such an overused, uninspired, undistinguished answer. Why would you ask Linus if that's what you want to hear?

Re: 25 Years Later: Interview with Linus Torvalds

#18

Post by qlk1123 »

> Bob: Anything else you want to comment on, either publicly or otherwise?

> Linus: I've never had some "message" that I wanted to spread, so ...

It's a pity that a man with such influence has no message that he wants to spread, but I can somehow understand this respond. My personal take of this quote can refer to another quote from his TED interview[1]:

> I’m an engineer. I’m perfectly happy with all the people who are walking around and just staring at the clouds and looking at the stars and saying, “I want to go there,” but I’m looking at the ground and I want to fix the pothole that’s right in front of me before I fall in.

While I wish such leader can speak for values like democracy or human rights, it is just not possible to happen.

[1] https://www.ted.com/talks/linus_torvalds_the_mind_behind_lin...

Re: 25 Years Later: Interview with Linus Torvalds

#19

Post by oraphalous »

qlk1123 wrote: post #18

> Bob: Anything else you want to comment on, either publicly or otherwise? > Linus: I've never had some "message" that I wanted to spread, so ... It's a pity that a man with such influence has no message that he wants to spread, but I can somehow understand this respond. My personal take of this quote can refer to another quote from his TED interview[1]: > I’m an engineer. I’m perfectly happy with all the people who…

>While I wish such leader can speak for values like democracy or human rights...

Or maybe people who have no particular expertise in political matters should stop opining so much about them?

And maybe we should stop politicising all aspects of culture and existence. There is so much more to life.

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