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  • Linus Torvalds added hidden tabs to Kconfig to challenge parsers that can't handle them.
  • Tabs were intentionally added to the common Kconfig file for page sizes to expose faulty parsers.
  • Torvalds believes parsers unable to handle tabs shouldn't be parsing kernel Kconfig files, aiming to force fixes.
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[-] palordrolap@kbin.social 72 points 7 months ago

The Robustness Principle may seem like little more than a suggestion, but it is the foundation on which many successful things are based.

To boil it down to meme-level old-school Torvaldsry: Assume everyone else is a f--king idiot who can barely do what they're supposed to and expect to parse their files / behaviour / trash accordingly.

If you do not do this, you are, without doubt, one of those f--king idiots everyone else is having to deal with. If you do do this, it does not guarantee that you are not a f--king idiot. Awareness is key.

Examples where this works: Web browser quirks mode; Driving a car; Measure twice, cut once. This latter one is special because it reveals that often, the f--king idiot you're trying to deal with is yourself.

Assume everyone else is worse.

Fun corollary: In altering his behaviour towards ~~f--king idiots~~ people who should know better, Linus has learned to apply the robustness principle to interpersonal communication.

[-] emptiestplace@lemmy.ml 34 points 7 months ago

using a rly bad word but pretending not to is kinda weird

[-] mino@lemmy.ml 42 points 7 months ago

I don't understand this either. There's no fucking algorithm overlord here right? No fucking tiktok, youtube bullshit required.

If you want to say fuck, fucking say fuck.

On another note. Thx for introducing me to the robustness principle ♥️

[-] palordrolap@kbin.social 22 points 7 months ago

Maybe I want to say it without saying it. There's no rule against doing that, but people somehow think there is - or that there ought to be.

Most of the time I don't swear, so it makes me uncomfortable to use the word. There have been and undoubtedly will be exceptions. When the mood takes me. When the word, unfettered, feels right. Today was not that day.

Funny how the partial omission offends some people more than the original word does. Adapt your parsers.

[-] half_built_pyramids@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago

On the fediverse we do not have to worry about upsetting coka cola or spez because a swear appeared next to their advertisement or name. Not that many people care about that elsewhere, but we especially don't care about it here. I think that's worth calling attention to every once in a while. It doesn't always have to be swears as the vehicle to remind us that the power dynamic is different here.

It's fucking nice to be reminded there no corpo overlords here sometimes, though. Which is ironic that sometimes the foss benevolent dictators for life aren't always benevolent.

[-] palordrolap@kbin.social 9 points 7 months ago

It's not about whether other people are willing to accept it. It's about whether I'm willing to generate it. This is the other half of the principle.

[-] WldFyre@lemm.ee 4 points 7 months ago

But you still used it, no one's confused about what word you meant. It's such an odd line to draw IMO.

It's like the "anal doesn't count as REAL sex" nonsense, but for cussing lol

[-] palordrolap@kbin.social 2 points 7 months ago

I turned the volume down to a more comfortable level.

[-] blind3rdeye@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago

Obviously the semi-censored version isn't the same - otherwise you wouldn't be talking about it. And the author has told you that it was a stylistic choice to use that different version. That's enough, isn't it? And judging by the reactions here, apparently the semi-censored version is even more hard-hitting than the full word!

Swearing is used for emphasis and to invoke a reaction. The attention it has brought here seems to show that it has invoked a reaction and captured people's attention. Maybe that drawing of attention means it was fit for purpose - or maybe not. In any case, it was the choice of the author to do it like that.

[-] WldFyre@lemm.ee 2 points 7 months ago

Of course they can do whatever they want, it just looks juvenile.

"I don't wanna cuss so I self-semi-censor the words" is still just cussing. It's a weird lie about something that doesn't matter, just fucking cuss or use a different word if you don't like cussing.

[-] blind3rdeye@lemm.ee 0 points 7 months ago

You think it's juvenile to self-censor? Have you never heard and adult use swear-adjacent words when talking? This happens for all sorts of reasons. If you think this is a childish thing to do, then I can only assume social norms are very different where you. I can't think of any child I know ever self-censoring in this way. They'd either swear, or not swear. But I do know of adults who do it.

[-] WldFyre@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago

But they didn't use swear adjacent words, they self censored some letters from a cuss word. I even said "just use a different word."

[-] blind3rdeye@lemm.ee 0 points 7 months ago

Oh my god! You're right! I see now! Thanks for clarifying that. It was totally absurdly juvenile and silly of them to write like that. Should we really even tolerate that kind of behaviour here on lemmy? I didn't understand how bad it was until you explained it to me - but I'm sure glad you did, because now it is so crystal clear that the way that they expressed themselves was ridiculous and possibly even harmful to the community.

[-] WldFyre@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago

Do you also think "lets go Brandon" is more civil than "fuck Joe Biden"?

I was just pointing out it was silly that they "don't want to generate" cuss words, but instead of just saying a different word, they still just cuss. It's a weird mental block that doesn't make sense.

[-] blind3rdeye@lemm.ee 0 points 7 months ago

Yeah. It makes no sense. A totally crazy mental block. Irrational and nonsensical. No sane person would ever write like that. No chance anyone would ever want to express themselves in that way unless that had some kind of twisted sinister motive. We shouldn't allow that kind of thing here. We need to make sure everyone on lemmy knows that it is not what we want in this community. Lets keep this discussion going to make sure this wisdom is heard.

[-] DAMunzy@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 7 months ago

Oh, BS. You don't have to worry about swearing on Reddit either. Yes, reddit sucks, but the censoring of words on there isn't like TikTok.

[-] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 1 points 7 months ago

You know you can say fuck on Reddit, right?

[-] VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.works 1 points 7 months ago

Yeah though I have to admit I like it when people self censor because I imagine them like a cute Ned Flanders all flustered 'well dang diddly h - e - double C!'

But yeah it's nice that platform's exist simply for people to express themselves rather than to serve as vehicles for advertising. I'll say fuck to celebrate that!

[-] soupuos@sopuli.xyz 3 points 7 months ago

That's a good f*****g point

[-] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 20 points 7 months ago

Sometimes it works well as a stylistic choice. It's not pretending not to use a bad word, but rather drawing attention to the fact that you're deliberately being a little bit naughty with a wink to the reader. It's like the absurdity of what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps.

[-] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 7 months ago
[-] mindbleach@sh.itjust.works 1 points 7 months ago
[-] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 7 months ago

congratulate ben croshaw, i stole it from zero punctuation

[-] barsoap@lemm.ee 1 points 7 months ago

Robustness Principle

It's a principle for brittleness. First you get implementation-defined behaviour, then bug-compatible software.

this post was submitted on 15 Apr 2024
515 points (98.3% liked)

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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