Linux-kernel mailing list archive 1999-23,: Re: Profanity in the Linux Kernel?!?!?

# Re: Profanity in the Linux Kernel?!?!?

Stephen Frost (sfrost@ns.snowman.net)
Wed, 9 Jun 1999 03:48:51 -0400 (EDT)

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On 8 Jun 1999, Scott Jaderholm wrote:

> I probably don't really have the right to say the following, because I
> don't contribute to the linux kernel. But I am going to say it
> anyways :)
>
> I hope that I do not offend too many people.
>
> cd /usr/src/linux ; grep -i fuck `find . -name '*.[ch]'`
>
> It seems to me that if you are trying to make an OS that is going to be
> used by the masses you would try and present yourselves as best as
> possible. Using profanity to document your code doesn't seem all that
> appealing to me, but I don't know about others.
>
> Is it really necessary? Someone could easily put "messed up" in place
> of it.
>
> Anyways, I guess it is up to you guys whether you would like that stuff in
> there. I just wasn't sure how many of you knew how many times it was
> in there..
>
> P.S. Please CC to me, since I am not subscribed to this list (I tried
> it last night, but after getting 170 messages over night I decided it
> was too much)
>
> P.S.S. BTW, I don't go looking for this type of thing. It is just
> that I heard about it in an IRC channel so I checked it out.
>
> P.S.S. It would be kind of interesting to see how many times that word
> is used in some of the code that comes out of Redmond eh? But there is
> a difference, no one sees theirs (that doesnt make it right though).

The masses don't see the linux kernel code I expect. I'd be
somewhat suprised if the majority of linux users actually went through
and read the kernel source. It doesn't actually appear all THAT many
times (I havn't done an actual count, but it didn't look like that
many), and it (I'm sorry if it offends your sensibilities) is a form of
expression.
Also, it seems unlikely to me that many very young folks will be
getting into the kernel and looking around. It's rather unlikely your 13
year old is going to pick up swearing by grepping linux kernel source...
It also to some extent has to do w/ the freedom the developers
have, linux often tries to do what is 'technically' correct, but other
than that give the developers the freedom they desire. Perhaps it isn't
politically correct, but then, if that's what the developers were worried
about we most likely would not have a technically correct kernel.

Stephen

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