After re-reading both accounts, it's clear to me that Brett misunderstood Poul-Henning's argument. Poul-Henning said to "just build the damn bikeshed, I don't care what color it is," whereas Brett said, "Poul-Henning's assertion that all such ideas should be dismissed as "bikeshedding" reflects this dismissive attitude"
I read Poul-Henning's argument, which did not say that ideas should be dismissed, but rather 'just built', as attempting to contribute to a constructive spirit, and Glass's argument as defending the broken management process.
Comments
Brett Glass's statement of rebuttal here is an amusing addition to the story and worth reading (even if you probably won't be on his side).
After re-reading both accounts, it's clear to me that Brett misunderstood Poul-Henning's argument. Poul-Henning said to "just build the damn bikeshed, I don't care what color it is," whereas Brett said, "Poul-Henning's assertion that all such ideas should be dismissed as "bikeshedding" reflects this dismissive attitude"
I read Poul-Henning's argument, which did not say that ideas should be dismissed, but rather 'just built', as attempting to contribute to a constructive spirit, and Glass's argument as defending the broken management process.