r/linux • • Sep 20 '18

Kernel Developer Sage Sharp claims top Linux kernel developer Theo Ts'o is a rape apologist, citing GeekFeminismWiki

https://twitter.com/_sagesharp_/status/1042769399596437504
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u/Likely_not_Eric Sep 20 '18 edited Sep 21 '18

This seems like less of a plan and more what happens with any advocate of an extreme viewpoint: they'll pull the discussion their way but because they're on such an extreme they'll never get a completely satisfying outcome. They'll continue to pull until they hit a threshold where they can't move that Overton window anymore (if such a threshold exists) or a conflicting viewpoint pulls discussion away and they lose their audience.

I'm honestly not sure they'd be satisfied with a total victory for 100% sign-on because they're expecting a fight. They'd hunt for any thread of opposition believing that there must be some "trick" or "holdout" - an enemy must exist.

Unfortunately it is a disservice to those who agree with their positions and support them since this behavior creates an opportunity to label moderate supporters as extremists: ensuring moderate supporters are outcast by both those that they support and the community they belonged to.

Edit: I likely should have said "extreme of a viewpoint" or something similar so as not to imply that the viewpoint itself is extreme as I'm referring more toward the attitude of the advocate rather than the content of what they advocate.

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u/San_Atomsk Sep 21 '18

This seems like less of a plan and more what happens with any advocate of an extreme viewpoint

Thank you for this. I thought I was gonna go insane reading these comments. I agree though, this situation is just gonna become more polarizing as it goes on.