On Linus Torvalds, technical & corporate communications - Bert Hubert's writings
a day ago
- Linus Torvalds' communication style degraded from robust to hurtful, but he is now seeking help.
- Three communication styles are contrasted: aggressive honesty, corporate HR-compliant verbosity, and concise engineer-style directness.
- The engineer-style response is recommended as it is direct yet respectful, avoiding both insults and bureaucratic padding.
- Supporters of Linus' old style mistakenly conflate swearing with honesty, fearing that avoiding insults leads to corporate drivel.
- It is possible to communicate concisely without insulting, and engineering organizations should strive for this.