Torvalds on Linux Security, Masturbating Monkeys, Whores and Idiots

Davey Winder
Friday, 15 August 2008 03:49

Business IT - Open Source

Now, in a further email exchange, he has attempted to explain his position with more clarity.

Unfortunately, his appetite for plain speaking might not have actually helped soothe the wounds which those previous remarks appear to have caused within some parts of the IT community.

Certainly, explaining that people who revel in exposing vendor security holes "because they see that as just another proof that the vendors are corrupt and crap" and then adding "which admittedly mostly are" will not help much.

Nor will suggesting that whether you assume this position or that of the nondisclosure camp, both are "whoring themselves out for their own reasons" and participating in PR posturing.

It seems what Torvalds is really looking for is the middle ground, he just has a rather blunt and aggressive way of getting around to it. Indeed, after arriving at his middle ground argument he cannot help but then look over his shoulder at both security camps again and call them "idiots" for "pushing their own agenda."

Actually, you know, this plain talking is not such a bad thing. No matter what those at the sharp end of the Torvalds tongue might think.

As the great man himself reveals when talking about how to manage a software project such as Linux:

"Be honest -- sometimes painfully honest. Part of that, by the way, is not feeling shy about saying impolite things or showing some emotion. So I'd rather flame people for doing stupid things and call them stupid, rather than try to be too polite to the point where people didn't understand how strongly I felt about something."

Even if that means calling someone an idiot masturbating monkey whore...