LXer: Eric Raymond and the RTFM Jerks

LXer · 03-29-2006, 10:21 AM

Published at LXer:

Is Eric Raymond and the RTFM jerk crowd driving away good contributers and users from free software? That is what I am beginning to wonder. I think that a lot of people don't want to get involved because the community comes across as a bastion of unrepentant meanness.

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vharishankar · 03-29-2006, 10:50 AM

ESR is a wannabe hacker who thinks that an "attitude" is a substitute for competence, a weakling who thinks that acting tough and sporting firearms will get him a macho image and provoking controversy will earn him accolades and recognition.

Such guys are a disgrace to the community.

I agree with the article that posting links to his overrated articles are getting annoying.

rshaw · 03-29-2006, 11:49 AM

wannabe hacker? ever heard of fetchmail or most of the prog's on this page. http://www.catb.org/~esr/software.html

he's fluent in more computer laguages than you have fingers and toes. why he was lumped in with the 'rtfm' crowd is beyond me.

vharishankar · 03-29-2006, 08:46 PM

I agree that he's fluent in programming and other stuff. But so are so many others and some in the community who are better than him. And all of those people don't sport a condescending attitude like him...

I still think his "hacker" and "HowTO" articles are very overrated. Technically he may be sound. Maybe he should have stuck to that rather than lower himself in everybody's esteem by having such a political stance to everything.