Re: Style guide for async discussions: share your recommendations

On Mon, Aug 03, 2026 at 06:45:45PM +0200, Aleksandra Fedorova wrote:
> On 8/3/26 16:08, Aleksandra Fedorova wrote:

[...]

>  "how to participate in the technical debate"
>
> I wonder if you have anything addressing the latter specifically.
> 
> Random example:
> 
> 1) When multiple people reply to a post with a similar argument, do you
> reply to each of them, or to one of them and put everyone else to CC?
>
> 2) When one reply has multiple arguments do you reply to each in a separate
> mail or in one?
> 
> It probably happens in both ways, but what are the considerations one should
> have.

I don't think we can make a "how-to guide" here, FWIW.  There are many
behavioral elements involved (more on it below).

To your random examples above: the thumb-rule is to use "good
judgement", which is hard to "codify".  Sometimes it is efficient to
address multiple related arguments in once place.  Other times, a longer
response (if justified) can be done in a seperate email.

Just like any good discussion, technical debates also ask common
"behavioral wisdom" that's as old as the hills: don't be excessively
rude; don't try to "win" an argument on a topic you have a no deeper
expertise on; don't filibuster (time-wasting argumentation); learn to
recognize the limits of your technical intuition; defer to experts where
appropriate; ask _questions_ before you leap to conclusions.  Don't be
in a hurry to "refute" someone; learn to show restraint.

A nice quote summarizes it very well (by Mortimer Adler):

    You must first be able to say 'I understand' before you can say 'I
    agree,' or 'I disagree,' or 'I suspend judgment'.


-- 
Kashyap Chamarthy / Red Hat / RISC-V and Fedora

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