I have an explicit rule not to meet or look up my heroes. Been burned way too many times.

I don't need to know who is building VLC, curl, ffmpeg or any of the other essentials in my life. I just appreciate their work and pitch in some money if possible.

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t-3 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

If you don't put them on a pedestal, you won't ever be crushed when they can't stay on top of it. Appreciating people and the results of people's work doesn't require worship. People don't have to be perfect or even good to make good things. Coming to terms with this and being able to take people as they are instead of how you want them to be is just another part of growing up and leaving behind childish attachments.

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swiftcoder 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

> I have an explicit rule not to meet or look up my heroes. Been burned way too many times.

I mean, don't put them on a pedestal, but meeting them can still be fun. Carmack may have developed some really unfortunate rich-guy political views, but it was nice to get to go to Dallas to meet him.

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bonzini 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

You'd be fine with Daniel Stenberg. :)

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theshrike79 5 hours ago | parent [-]

There are multiple people I'm fine with in software circles - Daniel being one of them, but then we have Notch and DHH who used to be cool, but some of their current hot takes are kinda oof.

Specifically way too many authors whose books I've loved have turned out to be not very good human beings. David Eddings and Neil Gaiman are pretty good examples of this.

	▲	ryandrake 23 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		Rowling / Harry Potter comes to mind, too, and Heinlein. You need to be able to separate the artist from the art, the programmer from the program. It’s ok to appreciate a work even if you disagree with its creator’s morals or ethics.