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Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

torvalds-family.blogspot.com

121–130 of 141 posts

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hah, didn't expect to see that while reading this thread. The post is here, although it's missing CSS and the images from that evening: http://web.archive.org/web/20060613002629/http://blakeross.c... Was definitely a crazy night. I enjoyed reading Linus' post.

BTW, some news from today that's relevant :) http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=748155473273&set=...

FYI you can't read that without logging in (which I can't).

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#122
post #45
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

Winning. One dying brain cell at a time.

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#123

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.

Right, but the reason most people watch award shows has nothing to do with the movies themselves.

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#124

I live next door to a celebrity chef. When I met him, he comes up to me, introduces himself like he's running for office, then there's this pause because he's waiting for the typical "regular guy meets celebrity" reaction. "Haven't you heard of me?" Nope sorry. As far as I'm concerned you're just my neighbor who doesn't walk his dog and lets the yard fill up with dog poop. I much prefer attitudes like Annie Lennox, w…

I met Billy Bob Thornton in a bar in Minneapolis one night. I'd worked a long day and was walking back to my hotel room, when I looked over to my left and saw Billy Bob sitting at a bar with 2 or 3 other people. Well I went in and grabbed a seat right next to him, ordered some food (wish I hadn't, kind of rude) and eavesdropped on his conversation. They were talking about baby names of all things. I knew a joke about…

Was the ordering food the rudeness or the eavesdropping?

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#125
post #67
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be funny to ask someone who was affecting that something like "Then what have you accomplished?" See I could picture Linus being completely oblivious to celebrity, there's a seriously big deal that he came up with while he was busy not watching popular movies. If the person saying "oh football what's that?" hasn't actually done anything really impressive then what are they doing if too busy to notice pop cul…

> what are they doing if too busy to notice pop culture? Just living in a cave and staring at the shadows?! If they're doing that, then they're doing philosophy.

Or they're a suburban home dweller with cable and a 50" flatscreen.

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#126
post #50
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…

... Keith Richard is another outlier, based on his book. Though he does mention the hard work, he also describes lots of debauchery.

I just finished his book as well, and he does mention long work sessions and the hard slog of being on the road, but there are plenty of months (and years) where he is "living it up" in Tangiers, Jamaica, the South of France, etc. Sounded to me like he lives a pretty sweet life.

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#127
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sounds like he doesn't know how to present himself. "So what do you do?" "Have you heard of linux?" I'm SURE they'd say yes, it's in wallmart, even. so, "yeah, that's for computers!" "yeah. i made that. most of the web runs on it too."

I'm not sure what crazy world you live in, but if I asked a random person "Have you heard of Linux?" odds are it's "no". The "regular world" is a really long way from the tech industry.

Maybe you hang out in the wrong circles, but even my non-engineering friends (art and history majors) know about Linux, free software, and the basics of copyleft. Maybe that's at least in part due to my interests in explaining it, but these really aren't things that are exclusively understood by technophiles.

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I think that, these days, we can take special effects for granted - every movie will have them and they will be mostly great - and undetectable. It takes an expert to be impressed by Avatar and how sunlight filters through foliage and skin. As special effects approach reality, it takes a trained eye will be able to differentiate the great from the groundbreaking.

Maybe compelling story is the key factor here. I don't believe kids went to see Transformers for the effects - all they wanted was to be entertained.

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I met Billy Bob Thornton in a bar in Minneapolis one night. I'd worked a long day and was walking back to my hotel room, when I looked over to my left and saw Billy Bob sitting at a bar with 2 or 3 other people. Well I went in and grabbed a seat right next to him, ordered some food (wish I hadn't, kind of rude) and eavesdropped on his conversation. They were talking about baby names of all things. I knew a joke about…

Was the ordering food the rudeness or the eavesdropping?

This is the socially exceptable form of eavesdropping. You know, where you make it obvious you are eavesdropping and then enter the conversation.

Re: Linus Torvalds: Pearls before swine

#130
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But Android is only a small part of why he is influential and important, it is the most visible I suppose.

"Well, I've created the operating system that runs about every 5th smartphone". "Well, and some other things".

And that thing that most websites run on. And tons of other infrastructure of the modern world. Yaknow, like that version control system. 2004 Time Magazine's one of the most influential people in the world. Pioneer of FOSS and innovation.

But whatever. Computers a boxes full of magic, if you open them it all escapes. My uncle fixes computers and makes html pages too, it's no biggie.

:(

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