this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2026
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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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How do you parse the last part, if not calling people stupid for not using AI?
Man I've seen others try to twist those words the same way even though it's on the same level as one of those elementary reasoning problems you'd find on a basic IQ test (Jack caught an std after interacting with koalas - a) all koalas transmit stds, b) some koalas transmit stds, c) pandas are free from stds, d) Jack should spend more than $5 on his hookers).
So unless you actually are stupid and this is why you're choosing to (defensively) misinterpret his words by picking the equivalent of c) here, it's clearly wilful misrepresentation of a very reasonable statement - "Of the people I admire, most don't shy away from cutting edge sutff"
This would be true if we were reading a paper on formal logic and all people communicated exclusively through lean.
Why would he chose to include that section in this correspondence? Just as a non-sequiturs? Your analysis implies he had absolutely no rhetorical goal in including that section. Humans tend to have rhetorical goals when they write or speak so we must ask "what was Linus' goal" in that section.
Given the context, the fact that the email thread is in regards to letting LLM's make commit messages, and Linus being famously willing to insult the intelligence of others it would be foolish not to assume that "insult their intellect" was not a rhetorical goal.