"All communities develop rituals over time. One of the enduring linux-kernel rituals is the regular heated discussion on development processes and kernel quality. To an outside observer, these events can give the impression that the whole enterprise is about to come crashing down. But the reality is a lot like the New Year celebrations the author was privileged enough to see in Beijing: vast amounts of smoke and noise, but everybody gets back to work as usual the next day.
"Beyond that, though, discussions of this nature have real value. Any group which is concerned about issues like quality must, on occasion, take a step back and evaluate the situation. Even if there are no immediate outcomes, the ideas raised often reverberate over the following months, sometimes leading to real improvements..."
