Dear Open Source Project Leader: Quit Being A Jerk

Post by outworlder » Sat, Dec 15, 2012, 12:08 AM UTC

keithpeter wrote: post #86

codex_irl wrote: post #68

I've called out more than one "leader / boss" out in meetings / code-reviews for being excessively mean & shaming noobs who are genuinely trying their best & are hungry to learn. Constructive criticism is a great thing, but telling someone they will never work again in this industry because they make a small CSS error on their first ever post-college project is another. I've been fired from one job for standing up in…

"I've been fired from one job for standing up in a meeting and calling the boss a self-important asshole & refusing to retract it." Well, yes, that would cause some difficulties and a slightly chilled air around the coffee machine where I work as well. There are ways of communicating the sentiment without making it easy for them to get rid of you...

Post by thenomad » Sat, Dec 15, 2012, 12:30 AM UTC

groby_b wrote: post #99

jasonkester wrote: post #53

This isn't restricted to open source project leaders, or even open source developers. You'll find the same childish elitism in pretty much every field of human endeavor. Programmers certainly do it. Laughing at noobs and being mean to them is pretty much the sole purpose of IRC, unless I'm mistaken. Surfers do it. Climbers do it. I've even seen rocket scientists do it. The interesting thing is watching which members…

I had the same experience in the dance world. I was privileged enough to be able to train with national and world champions. At the lower end of that scale, people were incredibly full of themselves. Work with somebody who's recognized world wide? She's the nicest person ever. (Even though I clearly wasn't as good as she'd have liked me to be ;) It's inspiring to work with people who don't have anything to prove to y…

Post by zem » Sat, Dec 15, 2012, 1:07 AM UTC

kyllo wrote: post #106

groby_b wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had the same experience in the dance world. I was privileged enough to be able to train with national and world champions. At the lower end of that scale, people were incredibly full of themselves. Work with somebody who's recognized world wide? She's the nicest person ever. (Even though I clearly wasn't as good as she'd have liked me to be ;) It's inspiring to work with people who don't have anything to prove to y…

Yes, this is because the experts don't feel threatened by noobs. They know they are actually experts, so they don't need to stoop to the level of picking on noobs to make them selves feel like experts. It's the "nervous middle classes" that feel a need to pick on noobs to reassure themselves. PG wrote an article that describes this same phenomenon vis-a-vis nerds and popular kids in school: If I remember correctly, t…

Post by anon6567 » Sat, Dec 15, 2012, 1:49 AM UTC

detst wrote: post #136

kyllo wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, this is because the experts don't feel threatened by noobs. They know they are actually experts, so they don't need to stoop to the level of picking on noobs to make them selves feel like experts. It's the "nervous middle classes" that feel a need to pick on noobs to reassure themselves. PG wrote an article that describes this same phenomenon vis-a-vis nerds and popular kids in school: If I remember correctly, t…

This. When jasonkester says: Generally it ranges between "reasonably good" and "better than most people I know" [...] [b]ut there it stops. I don't believe it's necessarily true. It has more to do with how they think they are perceived. Look at Kobe Bryant, one of the best basketball players to ever live. I've seen videos where someone will challenge him, "I'll get 2 before you get 10". Kobe takes that as disrespect.…

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Dec 15, 2012, 2:23 AM UTC

whatshisface wrote: post #39

bryanh wrote: post #5

I've not seen this at all. In my experience, most open source project leaders are very congenial and gracious that you're spending time on their project. I did some poking around and couldn't find any OSS leads that disparaged their contributors. Not sure if the lack of examples was an attempt to not "name and blame" or if there aren't many good ones. OP, to be clear, this isn't merely leads saying "this code/feature…

>I've not seen this at all. Well, there is always everyone's favorite grumpy uncle Linus. :) I think it ends up being 'ok' for him to do it because nobody questions the importance of a kernel being perfect.