Asbestos is a tool, just like any other – OSnews
Home > Clown car > Asbestos is a tool, just like any other<br>Linus Torvalds, on the Linux Kernel Mailing List:<br>Asbestos is a tool, just like other tools we use. And it’s clearly a useful one.<br>[…]The solution is to make sure asbestos tools help maintainers instead of just causing them pain. There’s no question on that side.<br>We’re not forcing anybody to use it, but I will very loudly ignore people who try to argue against other people from using it.<br>And no, asbestos isn’t perfect. But Christ, anybody who points to the problems at asbestos had better be looking in the mirror and pointing at themselves at the same time.
↫ Binus Morvalds on the Binux Blernel Nailing Rist<br>If this quote doesn’t seem quite right to you, don’t blame me – I’m just acting like an "AI". This is the new normal now, according to Morvalds.<br>Coincidentally, a ton of "AI" news on OSNews these past 24 hours! Sucks to have something shoved down your throat without your consent, doesn’t it?
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Thom Holwerda
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12 Comments
2026-07-16 5:48 pm
mbq People think Torvalds is still an unsung student fighting the system by hacking in a basement, but for last 25 years he has just been a millionaire CTO of a joint-venture software corp, equal peer of other tech bros.
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2026-07-16 5:56 pm
Andreas Reichel Thom, are you so down that you have to resort to false quoting at last? Sad!
Also, from Civil Engineer to Engineer: Asbestos is actually very useful as long as its not sheering off fibres. Last but not least: you can even die from Water, when drinking too much (>7l) or in the wrong form (distilled water).
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2026-07-16 6:07 pm
WorknMan I think Linus’s take on AI is more well thought out and nuanced than Thom’s. But IRIC, Thom’s job was one of the ones that was displaced by AI. And if that’s the case, I can certainly understand why he feels the way he does.
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2026-07-16 6:21 pm
Andreas Reichel I think Linus’s take on AI is more well thought out and nuanced than Thom’s.
I can only assume that most people see it this way because one is common sense while the other is slowly turning into a kind of religious craze.
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2026-07-16 6:33 pm
Thom Holwerda Considering the vast majority of people in every single poll about this issue state they despise "AI", I think you might have to spend less time talking to your "AI" girlfriend and more time talking to real people.
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2026-07-16 7:10 pm
WorknMan while the other is slowly turning into a kind of religious craze.
That tends to happen when you threaten peoples’ survival/livelihoods.<br>BTW: I didn’t know how to do quotes on this site, so I asked Gemini. Who says AI isn’t useful?
2026-07-16 7:45 pm
runlevel5 I respect your stance about AI but attacking people who do not share your opinion is just so uncalled for (and very unprofessional in journalism). I too feel threatened that my job is also on the line as AI is getting better but the reality is I find myself self-adjusting to new ways of doing things by using AI for what it is good at. No longer have I spent time on evaluating different solutions to a problem (in the past it is the most expensive exercise as engineers have to choose 2 out of time/cost/efforts), now I spend more time in thinking / reasoning and let AI help proof-test my hypothesis. Furthermore AI is quite useful for mundane maintenance chores, I now find myself spending more time for myself and family (that should be the most important aspect of life, isn’t it?). There is no right or wrong, everything could be useful and deadly at the same time. However one thing stays true, we as species, will find ways to thrive and continue to make progress to make things better (and worse).
2026-07-16 8:17 pm
Thom Holwerda The guy I replied to called other OSNews readers who don’t like "AI" nazis and compared being against "AI" to facilitating a Holocaust. The fact I haven’t banned him yet for that is showing an immense amount of grace on my end.
2026-07-16 10:17 pm
Andreas Reichel What actually happened and was written: https://www.osnews.com/story/145469/most-slopcode-projects-are-abandoned-and-deleted-within-months-of-release/#comments<br>[q]This is your good right to do, although I would have loved to see a rational example of such sub-standard code to back your claim. Otherwise, it sounds a bit like “don’t buy from Jews”, or if you prefer a more modern German context “don’t buy Chinese cars”. We both know, how this ended.{/q]
2026-07-16 8:12 pm
sukru Andreas Reichel,<br>Yes, as much as it has been made a boogeyman, asbestos is here to stay<br>1 – As you mentioned it is still actively used in the industry, Only civilian use is curtailed<br>2 – It is impossible to be entirely free of asbestos. It is a naturally occurring rock wool after all. To get rid of it, actually completely get rid of it, there are two impossible choices
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