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Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

torvalds-family.blogspot.com

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Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#111

Post by roel_v »

moe wrote: post #74
mixmax wrote: post #37

I've done stuff that normal people would consider ubercool - doing illegal raves, run one of the hottest bars in Ibiza, throwing parties for the jetset. When seen from the outside it looks amazing - you get to talk to models, you get free booze, get in for free at all the clubs and have sex with models. The thing that nobody tells you is that it's hard work. Most of the actors that go to the oscars aren't there to ge…

run one of the hottest bars in Ibiza Most of the actors that go to the oscars Sorry, but isn't it a bit of a stretch to compare "running a bar on Ibiza" to "running for the oscars"? Yes, chatting up Natalie Portman may be considered "hard work" by some, but then again... John Cusack gets drunk at one of the clubs he gets into for free he'll be all over the tabloids and he won't get that next role, so he can't do it.…

"run one of the hottest bars in Ibiza"

"Sorry, but isn't it a bit of a stretch to compare "running a bar on Ibiza" to "running for the oscars"?"

No. Ibiza is to the European house scene (which is huge) what the Oscars are for movies. Except that the season in Ibiza is several months, of course.

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#112

Post by roel_v »

jonknee wrote: post #7
peregrine wrote: post #5

This post put a big stupid grin on my face, just imagining him walking around, and nobody knowing who he is. Him being far more influential and more important than most people in the room, and yet having trouble explaining what he does. It sounds like a family reunion trying to remember people names and telling everyone you make web sites for a living.

Though it's getting easier to explain what he does--Android phones are everywhere these days.

Have you ever tried to explain to someone who is not an engineer what the relationship between 'a phone' and 'Android' is? Coincidentally I've tried twice over the last 3 weeks - both times concluded, after 15 minutes, with them concluding 'oh, so it doesn't matter much, right, all phones have it, it's just different between different phones'.

Eh... yes, I suppose...

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#113

Post by wisty »

nl wrote: post #45
mixmax wrote: post #37

I've done stuff that normal people would consider ubercool - doing illegal raves, run one of the hottest bars in Ibiza, throwing parties for the jetset. When seen from the outside it looks amazing - you get to talk to models, you get free booze, get in for free at all the clubs and have sex with models. The thing that nobody tells you is that it's hard work. Most of the actors that go to the oscars aren't there to ge…

On the other hand, there is Charlie Sheen

The guy who had a good run, ran down his good-will, and then got his whole team fired?

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#114

Post by rbanffy »

MrScruff wrote: post #109
jhamburger wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Although to be fair, the beautiful people are the only reason those engineers get even 30 seconds of primetime TV. See: thousands of engineers doing equally awesome things not related to showbiz.

Not really. Visual effects are a bigger 'star' than any individual actor nowadays. Also, 'equally awesome' needs to be qualified. Most of the engineers working in film could get paid far more working in other industries but do it because it can be fantastically rewarding. Disclaimer: I am one of these.

You don't see "A movie by Douglas Trumbull" much... Not even "A movie by Industrial Light and Magic" (which would be most of them).

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#115

Post by wisty »

pyre wrote: post #95
kierank wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Him being far more influential and more important than most people in the room, and yet having trouble explaining what he does. That's not true. There were many people in that room who were critical parts of multibillion dollar franchises. So critical that if that person fell ill the franchise would have to stop. If Linus fell ill Linux would continue relatively unchanged.

> If Linus fell ill Linux would continue relatively unchanged. Linux development on the other hand... Linus is still the Steve Jobs of the Linux kernel world, so far as I understand it.

The Steve Jobs, minus the tantrums, random firings, and black mock turtlenecks.

I hear he can be pretty critical though, especially if you ask him to port his work to a more "modern" language.

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#116

Post by MrScruff »

rbanffy wrote: post #114
MrScruff wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really. Visual effects are a bigger 'star' than any individual actor nowadays. Also, 'equally awesome' needs to be qualified. Most of the engineers working in film could get paid far more working in other industries but do it because it can be fantastically rewarding. Disclaimer: I am one of these.

You don't see "A movie by Douglas Trumbull" much... Not even "A movie by Industrial Light and Magic" (which would be most of them).

Would you argue it was Michael Bay's name that convinced people to buy tickets for Transformers? Or Sigourney Weavers name on Avatar? I suggest examining the all time box office records:

http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#117

Post by rbanffy »

MrScruff wrote: post #116
rbanffy wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't see "A movie by Douglas Trumbull" much... Not even "A movie by Industrial Light and Magic" (which would be most of them).

Would you argue it was Michael Bay's name that convinced people to buy tickets for Transformers? Or Sigourney Weavers name on Avatar? I suggest examining the all time box office records: http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/

Neither Michael Bay nor Sigourney Weaver have much involvement with special effects.

And, actually, what convinced me to see Avatar were the special effects. And there wouldn't be enough special effects in the world to convince me to go to a movie theater to watch Transformers.

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#118

Post by kingofspain »

mixmax wrote: post #43
CWIZO wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've read Slash's autobiography. It describes his life exactly as one, that is not in the know, would imagine it. That was in the eighties & nineties. Maybe times are different now.

I can only comment based on my own observations, but I see two explanations: 1) Slash is an outlier. I'm sure there are rockstars and actors that spend most of their time doing drugs and chatting up models. There are probably people like this in all fields of life. 2) His public persona is greatly enhanced by writing an autobiography that portrays him as true rock'n roll. It's great marketing. The truth is probaly so…

Exactly. Probably the most hedonistic period of my life was when I was employed by an insurance company. 9 hours per day of mind-numbing tedium followed by a few crazy hours afterwards. If I was to write a book about those days, I'm guessing the form filing, claims handling and endless insurance exams would fill very little space. To an outsider it might seem that insurance is very rock & roll.

As an aside, I know many musicians. No one you'll have heard of but a few of them are doing quite well here and could be on their way somewhere. They all have full time jobs and work like dogs. They'll drive 300 miles to do a show and be back to the office at 9am the next morning. To watch them when they're 'on' though, you'd think they led the carefree live of a rock star.

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#119

Post by MrScruff »

rbanffy wrote: post #117
MrScruff wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would you argue it was Michael Bay's name that convinced people to buy tickets for Transformers? Or Sigourney Weavers name on Avatar? I suggest examining the all time box office records: http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/

Neither Michael Bay nor Sigourney Weaver have much involvement with special effects. And, actually, what convinced me to see Avatar were the special effects. And there wouldn't be enough special effects in the world to convince me to go to a movie theater to watch Transformers.

Sorry, there seems to be some confusion. I'm trying to suggest that the majority of blockbusters aren't star lead anymore, they're visual effects lead. Perhaps people aren't interested in seeing effects engineers receiving awards, but they're certainly interested in seeing our work.
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