Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S265089AbTFYUzp (ORCPT ); Wed, 25 Jun 2003 16:55:45 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S265087AbTFYUzp (ORCPT ); Wed, 25 Jun 2003 16:55:45 -0400 Received: from smtp.bitmover.com ([192.132.92.12]:63952 "EHLO smtp.bitmover.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S265089AbTFYUzn (ORCPT ); Wed, 25 Jun 2003 16:55:43 -0400 Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 14:09:44 -0700 From: Larry McVoy To: Robert White Cc: Larry McVoy , Werner Almesberger , Stephan von Krawczynski , miquels@cistron-office.nl, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: [OT] Re: Troll Tech [was Re: Sco vs. IBM] Message-ID: <20030625210944.GB11956@work.bitmover.com> Mail-Followup-To: Larry McVoy , Robert White , Larry McVoy , Werner Almesberger , Stephan von Krawczynski , miquels@cistron-office.nl, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org References: <20030625034930.GA11956@work.bitmover.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.4i X-MailScanner-Information: Please contact the ISP for more information X-MailScanner: Found to be clean X-MailScanner-SpamCheck: not spam (whitelisted), SpamAssassin (score=0.5, required 7, AWL, DATE_IN_PAST_06_12) Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 2173 Lines: 40 On Wed, Jun 25, 2003 at 01:35:09PM -0700, Robert White wrote: > That is very sad. The fact that I know that I am not the kind of salesman > one needs to be to run a business does not magically disqualify me from all > business knowledge. I'm a pool player, or used to be. In pool, as with many competitive sports, you get better by playing against people who are better than you. You learn from their actions, etc. It's perhaps more short term fun to play someone less skilled but you don't learn anything doing so. The fact that you aren't someone who has run a business doesn't, as you say, necessarily mean that you are less skilled but it certainly, without any room for disagreement, means you are less experienced. Experience is a valuable thing, to me if not to you. A very valuable thing. I'm not discounting your words, I've read them, thought about them, and decided that I value them less than I value information coming from people with experience in running a business. Please remember that I'm an engineer first and a business guy second. I already know how to do software development, build and ship a product, build and grow a team, etc. Of course I can be better at that, I'm just saying that this isn't some business drone telling you how the world works. I've also started and grown a business and that has taught me an enormous amount that I do not believe you understand. Why? Because I used to think just like you and running the business changed my mind. What are the chances that running a business would change yours? In my opinion, very close to 100%. We can argue forever about this and it's pointless, you aren't arguing from a similar set of experiences so it's never going to work. It's not personal, it's just an observation that experience counts for a hell of lot more than theories. -- --- Larry McVoy lm at bitmover.com http://www.bitmover.com/lm - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/