Re: der Mouse [Re: Path to kmods]

[Rich Kulawiec <rsk%gsp.org@localhost>]

It's often difficult for people who are very emotionally attached
to their work to grasp how the most valuable contributions to their
efforts are likely to come from not from their most ardent supporters,
but from their most well-informed critics.  (And der Mouse, who has
been working in this field far longer than many (most?) of those who
imagine themselves "senior", is certainly well-informed...as in,
"has likely forgotten more about Unix that most others will ever know.")

He also, as I've found when my own work has come under his scrutiny,
is not inclined to pull his punches.  This is a feature, not a bug.

So while I'm sure it's tempting to try to impose groupthink and thus
remove what some of you consider an annoyance, I think you'd be much
better served -- in the long run -- by checking your ego(s) at the door
and listening.  Doubly so when you disagree.

I do.  And I've been learning from der Mouse since long before most
of you even knew there was such a thing as "Unix".  And if I can do
that, despite my rather caustic/cynical/sarcastic nature, then surely
those of you who don't share my shortcomings can.

Don't believe me?  Okay.  Pick out the messages that you think are the
most wrong.  Create a cron job to mail them to yourself 5 and 10 years
from now.  Perhaps you'll find the results as enlightening as I have.

---Rsk