Oh come on [LWN.net]

Oh come on

Posted Mar 10, 2005 13:54 UTC (Thu) by corbet (editor, #1)
In reply to: Oh come on by grantingram
Parent article: A big setback on software patents

Sorry if that line upset you. It was certainly not meant to "bash" anybody.

I was really just trying to raise a small smile. But, that said, there is a certain smugness that Europeans (lots of them, anyway) adopt when discussing the peculiarities of the U.S. You see it in the "ah, but software patents aren't our problem" posts that used to go around. I see it every year when I go and hang out with the in-laws in Italy. In my experience, Europeans think they have found a better way to live with each other. They might even be right.

Anyway, if I offended anybody, I apologize. Such was not my intent. LWN has as many readers in Europe as in the U.S.; even I would not be so stupid as to go trying to annoy such a large part of our readership.

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Oh come on

Posted Mar 10, 2005 14:22 UTC (Thu) by arafel (subscriber, #18557) [Link]

Can't speak for the original poster, but no need to apologise; I've come out of delicate-flower mode now. ;-)

Oh come on

Posted Mar 10, 2005 14:49 UTC (Thu) by pkolloch (subscriber, #21709) [Link]

I am European and I loved to sneer in a smug way when software patents still appeared nicely impossible here. Thus that line raised some kind of bitter amusement and a laugh. I think it is quite apparent that the generalization is not meant seriously and an artificact of humor I enjoy.

Well, I would appreciate it, if I could go on with my smug ways, get smug replies from others. As long as I don't have to bother about software patents. Smugness hooray!

If software patents get rejected in the EU in a distant future, I will look forward to making smug remarks about how utterly stupid the US is (after a large celebration). And that it shows in them adopting software patents. I will act as it was never considered in the EU. And surprise, I will not be utterly serious about the generalization. Huh! Try to stop me!

Oh come on

Posted Mar 10, 2005 18:57 UTC (Thu) by Alan_Hicks (subscriber, #20469) [Link]

Sorry if that line upset you.

Down here we have a saying, "A hit hound hollers ever' time." Means people get upset when you call them on something they know is true.

there is a certain smugness that Europeans (lots of them, anyway) adopt when discussing the peculiarities of the U.S.

You're dead on here. It's not the fact that Europeans have that smugness that bothers them. Rather it's the fact that you called them on it that has a few of 'em riled up. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it if I was you. The Europeans have their smug attitude and we have our "my way or the highway" attitude (yes, I'm an American and I'm likely more stereotypical American than anyone else these people know). I think anyone looking at the story understands that the line was a humorous statement of a stereotypical fact, and isn't anything to get all bent out of shape about really.

Oh come on

Posted Mar 11, 2005 11:46 UTC (Fri) by jschrod (subscriber, #1646) [Link]

I'm a European, and I'll have to say -- don't pay attention to that demand for politically correctness. This is, oh, so, American! (I'm smug, too, aren't I?) [0.5 :-)]

Joachim

Oh come on

Posted Mar 11, 2005 21:36 UTC (Fri) by hummassa (subscriber, #307) [Link]

I think the guy's sense of humour was turned off... :-)
Anyway, down here in Brasil software patents are strictly forbidden, but
at any Congressional Bill dealing with IT, I always shudder in fear...

Oh come on

Posted Mar 16, 2005 13:57 UTC (Wed) by wookey (subscriber, #5501) [Link]

Precisely - I thought it was funny, jonathan :-)

You would think free-software people had learned to grow sufficiently-thick skins by now :-)

let forget it

Posted Mar 18, 2005 16:53 UTC (Fri) by Nicolas (guest, #28602) [Link]

I would say the worst of this unfortunate line is that half of the
comment are completely unrelated to the very imoprtant topic of Patents in
Europe.

It is a natural tendency of everybody of always thinking that the-other
(whoever s-he is) is wrong in some way or another.
And it is a natural tendency to take the-other's remarks the wrong way.

Just to make sure we stay focused on the important issues, it would be a
good idea to try not to tap into these unfortunate instincts of ours.
(Or when you do, at least let it come with a smile :-) so that everybody
understands it is intended as a joke).

Writing is just a very poor communication medium.

nicolas