[FFmpeg-user] A comment about this community (was: RE: sudo:ffmpeg: command not found)

[amindfv at mailbox.org]

On Mon, Nov 02, 2020 at 11:02:20AM +0100, Carlos E. R. wrote:
> On 01/11/2020 22.33, Phil Rhodes via ffmpeg-user wrote:
> >   Hi Marc
> > I can only reiterate the regrets you've already received and assure you it was ever thus and it's not your fault.
> > For the benefit of any new people or anyone who reads this thread in future, ffmpeg is for every practical purpose a Linux-community project. The Linux community is notorious for its incredible intolerance and inexcusable rudeness. It is common, even normal, on this mailing list. I have been hugely dismayed by this situation for many years but I'm not convinced there's much that can be done about it; it happens with the tacit approval, even the encouragement, of the people who run the project and there is no mechanism to correct it. Look at Linus Torvalds' own reputation; that's the role model. They think that's good. They actually believe it's appropriate professional behaviour; that's the kind of people you're dealing with.
> 
> Huh.
> 
> No, this is not normal Linux community behaviour. Maybe it is normal here,
> but it is not normal in the channels where I participate, and I do a lot of
> support for new (or not) users. On some of the channels a rude person is
> expelled by the moderators.

Strongly agree. Painting this as a problem of the entire "Linux community" ignores not only the vastness of the community but also the many subject matter experts here who took time out of their days to politely answer a relative newbie's questions, and also ignores all the people here who pushed back for civility and against rudeness from one person.

It might happen too often on this mailing list that a person says something rude, and so we can work on cultural or rules changes to keep individuals from harming the group dynamic. But please, I don't know what's more likely to discourage a newcomer: one person acting rudely or another person convincing them that the entire community is a bunch of jerks.

> Linus Torvalds maybe rude - I don't know, I don't participate where he is,
> but like many I have seen his explosions when they hit the fan - but that's
> an inner circle, not a support channel.