Recent Features
| |||||||||||||
Debian switching to EGLIBCDebian switching to EGLIBCPosted May 7, 2009 10:06 UTC (Thu) by NAR (subscriber, #1313)In reply to: Debian switching to EGLIBC by PaulWay Parent article: Debian switching to EGLIBC
I think software development is unique in the sense that there are actually people who are 10 times as productive as some of their peers, even in the same workgroup. So probably it's worth to employ a couple of other people who hide the "guru" from the users. Don't forget that people actually have the right to be sexist, defamatory or racist.
(Log in to post comments)
Character flaws Posted May 7, 2009 21:55 UTC (Thu) by man_ls (subscriber, #15091) [Link] I still think that PaulWay is right about the first fallacy, but maybe not the way he intended. Sometimes an individual's worth cannot be measured as 100 normal fellows, because sometimes he or she can enable things which were not even feasible before. There is no replacement even with hordes of developers. Think about Science and the contributions of great individuals -- the kind of leap of a Pasteur or a Newton cannot be done by a thousand clever fellows. Engineering is sometimes the same, as is software engineering.About character flaws I think you are quite right. In some contexts buffering the guru is an effective way to dealing with an ill-mannered engineer.
Character flaws Posted May 8, 2009 1:55 UTC (Fri) by PaulWay (✭ supporter ✭, #45600) [Link]
You raise a great point! I think that's another good reason why saying "well, he's a good coder, so he's allowed to annoy other people" is just wrong.
Have fun,
Paul
Debian switching to EGLIBC Posted May 8, 2009 1:54 UTC (Fri) by PaulWay (✭ supporter ✭, #45600) [Link]
> Don't forget that people actually have the right to be sexist, defamatory or racist.
Yeah, right. Try being sexist, defamatory or racist in the workplace and see how your contract covers you. Try being sexist, defamatory or racist on a public internet forum and see how the forum's or your ISP's conditions of use work. Try getting up in a public place and being sexist, defamatory or racist and see how you go with the police.
People have the right to their own thoughts, which I think is where you're coming from. But public behaviour is what's in question here. And I'll bet you a beer that Ulrich's contract with Red Hat allows them to fire him for being sexist, defamatory or racist in public.
And even if there is some specific condition where being sexist, defamatory or racist is allowed, I still reckon it's bad behaviour. I don't care if someone is a thousand times better at coding than anyone else, being rude and obnoxious to other people is bad for that person,for the projects they work for and for the community they're involved in.
So to me it seems pretty counterproductive to hide behind some technical legal argument to excuse behaviour which, as I said originally, is completely unnecessary and caused Ulrich more hassle rather than less.
Have fun,
Paul
Don't be so sure Posted May 8, 2009 18:08 UTC (Fri) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link] Yeah, right. Try being sexist, defamatory or racist in the workplace and see how your contract covers you. If you are working for US Company - it'll be written in contract. In other countries it's free right (some European countries are emulation US but to smaller degree). You can be fired if you disrupt the team, but just for being sexist or racist? Puhlease. When our company was bought by US one we had special sessions to explain exactly what natural things (like sexist jokes or jokes about other minorities) we shouldn't do from now on. Everyone agreed that it's idiotic, but hey - these guys are paying me, they establish rules. Try being sexist, defamatory or racist on a public internet forum and see how the forum's or your ISP's conditions of use work. Probably you are visiting totally different forms from me - because I'm seeing sexist, defamatory and racist remarks quite often. And not just from trolls. Again: if we are not talking about US where (as Heinlein noted half-sentury ago) everyone is so proud to point out that they have absolutely nothing against your skin color, face or sexual orientation... Try getting up in a public place and being sexist, defamatory or racist and see how you go with the police. For being sexist? This is a joke. For being defamatory or racist... possibility is there but you need to spend A LOT OF effort to reach this point.
Right of being defamatory? Posted May 11, 2009 11:01 UTC (Mon) by incase (subscriber, #37115) [Link]
Honestly, your freedom of speech ends where you are hurting the dignity of others. You can be an asshole if you want to, but you should not insult others (actually, insulting rather than critizising is a legal offense here)
In Germany, the topmost grant our constitution grants it dignity. Freedom of thought, religion and speech is also in their of course, but it is below the grants for dignity, and some other things like prohibition of discrimination because of race, sex/gender, religion and other things, your right not to be injured in physical or mental well-being etc.
regards,
|
|||||||||||||