There are "extremists" in the free software world, but that's one major reason why I don't call what I do "free software" any more. I don't want to be associated with the people for whom it's about exclusion and hatred.

I will, in fact, claim that the difference between a bad programmer and a good one is whether he considers his code or his data structures more important. Bad programmers worry about the code. Good programmers worry about data structures and their relationships.

The NIH syndrome (Not Invented Here) is a disease.

I don't expect to go hungry if I decide to leave the University. Resume: Linux looks pretty good in many places.

That's what makes Linux so good: you put in something, and that effort multiplies. It's a positive feedback cycle.

Don't hurry your code. Make sure it works well and is well designed. Don't worry about timing.

I seldom get self-righteous, and even when I am being impolite (almost always on purpose - there's an art to insulting people, too), I tend to try to not be too serious about it. And most of the time it means that I can take criticism constructively, and sometimes just change my opinion on the fly and laugh at myself over having turned on a dime.