OSI procedures - a study in quotes [LWN.net]

OSI procedures - a study in quotes

Posted Aug 25, 2005 21:36 UTC (Thu) by ncm (subscriber, #165) [Link]

PB is Bruce Perens. There was a story that ESR threatened to shoot him. When ESR says he'll shoot you, he's not joking, even if he's smiling. So Bruce reported the threat to the police. ESR got all flustered and offended about it; probably he thought threatening to shoot BP expressing respect. Anyway that's how the story goes.

I don't know if or how often ESR still threatens people with his gun, but if he threatens you, do report it.

Bruce vs ESR

Posted Aug 26, 2005 1:23 UTC (Fri) by rfunk (subscriber, #4054) [Link]

Thanks. From there I was able to Google for it.

Here's Bruce's initial public message on the topic, though the context seems to be OSI's controversial endorsement of Apple's code license.

Not to bring back a six-year-old controversy, but I notice that the threat was (a) over email, and (b) did not explicitly mention shooting Bruce. On the other hand, I still think it was over the top and I don't think Bruce was unreasonable in his reaction.

OSI's relevance to the community has only dimmed since then.

Bruce vs ESR

Posted Sep 9, 2005 19:48 UTC (Fri) by rickmoen (subscriber, #6943) [Link]

(Disclosure: I am on good terms with both of the people in question -- and hope to remain that way.)

First and foremost, the private e-mail about which Bruce (and you, rfunk) have, rather questionably, proclaimed that its author intended as a "threat" (impliedly, of violence) should not have been a matter for public mailing lists and Web sites, at all. Bruce, if you honestly believed it to be such, reporting it to your police department was appropriate — but posting it to debian-devel and elsewhere most certainly was not. One can reasonably posit a passive-aggressive attempt at character assassination in your reaction.

So: Bruce (and apologies to you and Eric both, for this being less than timely), simmer down, and, if you must fight, fight fair: You know that's no way to behave. As it is, the main lesson you've given people is "Don't trust Bruce with unguarded comments in private e-mail." Is that what you really want to be known for? Please understand that I say this with nothing but friendly intent.

Eric: Although any reasonable and minimally charitable reader would understand that the natural way an author and essayist will tend to "make you regret" things is with the pen rather than the sword (or boomstick or aikido punch), and that you do not have any history of beating people up just because you're frustrated and annoyed with them, a moment's contemplation will remind you that your "tribe" is unfortunately riddled with scurrilous gossips and trolls possessed of little or no moral scruple, not to mention those inclined to post first and switch on their brains later.

Nathan (ncm): I assume you've switched your brain back on, by now. ;-)

Rick Moen
rick@linuxmafia.com