linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH v2] Documentation: management-style: Reword "had better known the details" phrase

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Message-ID: <87wm6p9v8l.fsf@trenco.lwn.net>
Date: Tue, 26 Aug 2025 23:41:46 -0600
From: Jonathan Corbet <corbet@....net>
To: Bagas Sanjaya <bagasdotme@...il.com>, Linux Kernel Mailing List
 <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>, Linux Documentation
 <linux-doc@...r.kernel.org>, Linux Kernel Workflows
 <workflows@...r.kernel.org>
Cc: Bagas Sanjaya <bagasdotme@...il.com>, Jonathan Neuschäfer
 <j.neuschaefer@....net>, Fox Foster <fox@...dis.ed.ac.uk>, Federico Vaga
 <federico.vaga@...a.pv.it>, Randy Dunlap <rdunlap@...radead.org>, Stephen
 Rothwell <sfr@...b.auug.org.au>, Konstantin Ryabitsev
 <konstantin@...uxfoundation.org>, Matthew Wilcox <willy@...radead.org>
Subject: Re: [PATCH v2] Documentation: management-style: Reword "had better
 known the details" phrase

Bagas Sanjaya <bagasdotme@...il.com> writes:

> Management style docs writes on people under a manager, where they know
> the details better than the manager himself. Reword it so that it would be
> less confusing to non-native English speakers.
>
> Signed-off-by: Bagas Sanjaya <bagasdotme@...il.com>
> ---
>  Changes since v1 [1]:
>
>    - Reword the confusing phrase (Konstantin)
>
>  [1]: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-doc/20250826003437.7695-2-bagasdotme@gmail.com/
>
>  Documentation/process/management-style.rst | 4 ++--
>  1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/Documentation/process/management-style.rst b/Documentation/process/management-style.rst
> index dfbc69bf49d435..bb7a69e34ef180 100644
> --- a/Documentation/process/management-style.rst
> +++ b/Documentation/process/management-style.rst
> @@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ actually true.
>  The name of the game is to **avoid** having to make a decision.  In
>  particular, if somebody tells you "choose (a) or (b), we really need you
>  to decide on this", you're in trouble as a manager.  The people you
> -manage had better know the details better than you, so if they come to
> +manage most likely know the details better than you, so if they come to
>  you for a technical decision, you're screwed.  You're clearly not

I really do not understand what it is that you are trying to fix here.
The original may not be the best English ever, but it is entirely
correct; do we really have to churn the document for this>

>  competent to make that decision for them.
>  
> @@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ sure as hell shouldn't encourage them by promising them that what they
>  work on will be included.  Make them at least think twice before they
>  embark on a big endeavor.
>  
> -Remember: they'd better know more about the details than you do, and
> +Remember: they know the details better than you do, and
>  they usually already think they have the answer to everything.  The best

Here too.

jon