Re: Practicality of GNU project and libre movement

[Miles Fidelman]

On 7/24/20 1:00 PM, Amin Bandali wrote:

> Miles Fidelman <mfidelman@meetinghouse.net> writes:
>
> [...]
> > To me, the key word is "defend" - and, frankly, when know-nothings
> > pontificate about why free software is doomed to failure - a strong
> > defense is called for.  Not a kind defense. Not a polite defense.  A
> > strong defense.  (IMO)
> You (falsely) assume that a strong defence is mutually exclusive with a
> kind/polite reply.  On the contrary, I urge you to consider how your ad
> hominem attacks deter and distract from the points you try to make, by
> instigating a defensive mood in the reader and potentially driving them
> away from the community.
>
> Reading your recent posts here, I get the impression that you seem to be
> quick to jump to conclusions about people and their backgrounds you may
> not know well, and either vilify and assume the worst in them, or try to
> belittle them by calling them names.  I doubt anyone, including myself
> or you, is born into this world an all-knowing being from day one.
> Further, this kind of behaviour does little to encourage learning and
> correcting misunderstandings/misconceptions.
Kindness & politeness are more appropriate, when someone is kind and 
polite in the first place.

When someone spouts bullshit with assumed authority - nah, IMO, neither 
kindness nor politeness are called for.  If anything, tit-for-tat is the 
appropriate response.

Now, if the OP had started with a slightly more humble attitude, and 
asked questions - that would have been a different situation.

Miles Fidelman


--
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.  .... Yogi Berra

Theory is when you know everything but nothing works.
Practice is when everything works but no one knows why.
In our lab, theory and practice are combined:
nothing works and no one knows why.  ... unknown