From: Martin Fowler <mf@...>
Date: 2005-12-23T12:40:57+09:00
Subject: Re: Bruce Eckel and Ruby


 > But examining an arguers potential motives is a key tool for
 > rebuttal, just as one might examine a certain politician's ties
 > to the petroleum industry to explain his motives in foreign
 > affairs.


The problem is that it's too easy to make up your own assumptions about 
peoples' motives, and nobody's offering software book authors the kind 
of money that politicians get.

I know Bruce moderately, well enough to be pretty damn sure that 
monetary motives are well below his radar (for goodness sake he makes 
his books available free on the internet, which is more than I've ever 
had courage to do.) People are very quick to slam other people's 
integrity on the internet. Bruce's skin has probably thickened in time, 
but it still hurts me when it happens to me, so I feel inclined to 
defend him. I've always had the impression that this kind of thing 
happens rarely in the ruby community, I would wish that to be true.

Martin