alt Hacker NewsOccurences of swearing in the Linux kernel source code over time
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Theory: the shift towards lesser swearwords is a sign of corporatization, making the linux source a soulless bland hellscape of confirmity.
Retard may not be in there as a swear word. It could be a comment regarding a "delay". [1]
[1] :to delay or impede the development or progress of : to slow up especially by preventing or hindering advance or accomplishment
In one of my internships we once started searching the source code tree for swear words. It ultimately demonstrated who was professional, and who wasn't.
One thing that was funny was when we searched for moron. There was a file that basically said "[this workaround exists] because [name of someone] is a make-moron."
You can check company names too ! It's interesting to see that by default, the graph shows google,apple. But adding meta, and IBM really changes the plot.
Meta went from 2K to 10K+ from 2018 to 2025. While IBM seems to have stopped contributing in 2008. Since they the merging with RedHat, I would have expected to see them increase again but none of RedHat / IBM seems to have increase. https://www.vidarholen.net/contents/wordcount/#redhat,oracle... Not sure if their name appearing means that they are contributing tho.
Really cool project,
Pretty sure 99% of these are gonna be in the drivers and direct hardware interaction bits.
What's the story behind the Great Unfuckening that took place between v4.18-rc8 and v5.6?
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Trying adding "ass", it explodes [1]. Not sure if that's because of keywords such as 'class' or something else? "dumb" is really on the uptake [2].
[1] https://www.vidarholen.net/contents/wordcount/#fuck*,shit*,d...*
[2] https://www.vidarholen.net/contents/wordcount/#fuck*,shit*,d...*
Peak kludge was first reached at 2002-05-18 with a total number of 118 kludges.
Interesting jump in "crap" right after the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Perhaps being cooped up inside the house hacking on the kernel is less fun when that's your only choice.
As an Australian I’m disappointed in the lack of the key word ‘cunt’ in the graph. Unless perhaps it’s zero.
of these i'd take "idiot" as the most harmful, working against positive collaboration
Reminds me of:
https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/vbvxiv/10_years_ago_...
(warning, contains footage of frustrated programmer making offensive gesture)
Microsoft is catching up with Linus.
I like the fact that some words are there from the very beginning.
Missed the opportunity to include "garbage" in the list of default words for that graph... 5 times as frequent as the next runner up, "crap".
I am particularly interested in the rapid and steady growth of "garbage", among rubbish, trash and junk. What does this indicate? An evolution of English?
Idk who decided what words to include by default. The graphs for "bitch" and "gay" are interesting.
Interesting but I worry documenting things like this will just cause further politicisation and vitrol. See also: renaming "master" branch to "main", etc.
At least they left the one swear word that isn't a swear word for us.
I miss year numbers on the axis, so very roughly:
1992 0.x
1994 1.x
1996 2.x
2004 2.6.x
2011 3.x
2015 4.x
2019 5.x
2023 6.x
Is this in contrast to "Jokes and Humour in the Public Android API" ( https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44285781 ) posted 6 hours earlier?
Now can we correlate the same timeline the number LOCs Linus contributed personally?
The decline in serious profanity is especially disappointing given that Linus is a Finn. I have Finnish friends and they have explained to me that at least half the core vocabulary is swearing.
The first derivative would have been a better plot. Perhaps overlaid with dates of cultural shifts.
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I'd note that "retarded" can be a technical term which is not an insult or swear word which means "delayed" (e.g. "tardy") In an internal combustion engine you could have "advanced" or "retarded" spark timing for instance.
It's an amusing area where denotations are the same in French and English but the denotations are different. [1] All over Quebec you see convenience stores called "Couche-Tard" (Sleep Late) which can provoke a double-take like seeing a sign for a restaurant called PFK with a picture of Colonel Sanders.
[1] An ad for a breakfast sandwich, coffee and hash browns can be advertised as "L'Ensemble Quotodienne" a phrase made of everyday words in French which are $20 words in English.