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Author: Steve Litt
Date:  
To: dng
New-Topics: [DNG] Veterans, not greybeards (was: An abrupt end to Debian Live CD version?), [DNG] greybeards
Subject: Re: [DNG] An abrupt end to Debian Live CD version?
On Thu, 12 Nov 2015 16:57:19 +0300
Mitt Green <mitt_green@???> wrote:

> ‎I wonder how many people that use Debian for quite long time (since
> 90s or the beginning of this millennium) really like systemd, GNOME3
> and all these controversial things. I haven't met any. And even more,
> most "greybeards" that I've seen oppose it. Seems like they don't have
> a right to vote.


:s/greybeards/experienced people having a clue/

I'm not saying the following in anger. I'm simply saying it so we don't
accidentally shoot ourselves in the foot...

"Greybeards" and "neckbeards" are characterizations whose connotation
is deliberately "people stuck in their ways, afraid of change, no
longer relevant, no longer innovating." This has *especially* come to
the forefront during the systemd foolishness.

Additionally, "greybeards" and "neckbeards" pretty much literally mean
"old people", and give credence to the belief that old people can't
code, can't tech, should be put out to pasture. It's this very belief
that motivates organizations to refuse to hire those over 50,
regardless of past or current accomplishments, going so far as to pay a
premium to offshore rent-a-programmers rather than snagging one of the
glut of skilled over 50 technologists.

We should leave words like "greybeard", "neckbeard", and "afraid of
change" to the debian-user mailing list.

Last but not least: The first body text currently on http://devuan.org
says:

"Dear Init Freedom lovers, the Veteran Unix Admin collective salutes
you!"

THAT'S how experience is best portrayed.

SteveT

Steve Litt 
November 2015 featured book: Troubleshooting Techniques
     of the Successful Technologist
http://www.troubleshooters.com/techniques