Already understood your point. Where in my post is it clear that l didn’t? Its hinted and referenced that I understood as I use variations of your own phrases and challenge you using the same point on, Specifically, this quote:

“Especially because it’s become even more successful after he’s mellowed out?”

What exactly is the utility of the above quote of yours then? Cause its structured as something you assert as a fact that’s used to bolster your initial point to arc.

The bolster being something like:

If its so obvious that Linus’ original style was so “demonstrably effective” as to be the reason for the massive success of Linux then how can you (arc) explain the fact that it has especially become even more successful after he’s mellowed out?

but like, has it? Has it become even more successful after he’s mellowed out? Your bolster kinda hinges on that fact to be true. Cause if we were to somehow find your assertion to be untrue and the project to be worse off by X degree after he mellowed out then that could more bolster arc’s assertions.

Or he’s just playing the game within the current “social layers” that have attached to or are inherit to the project to placate those who require placating. Not like pubic figures haven’t had to blow sunshine up asses to shut the the “whiners” up before. And if so, maybe those lasting changes are trivial because it was never a major habit to begin with and rare. Its was just an approach to get the result. But you’ve to show the public you care (even if you don’t) and talk about how you worked real hard and put in the work. (Even if the work was trivial)

“Especially because it’s become even more successful after he’s mellowed out?”

You state that as if its also “obvious”. How is this a fact? How is it obvious? Is it more successful because of his mellowing or irrespective of it? On its face, seems to me we cant nod our head in agreement to your sudden assertion any more than arc’s assertion that Linus’ initial style worked.

You seem to want arc to provide some sort of metric or proof to back up his assertion. Well, where is yours? Where’s your metric/data?