[dawnbreez]

I would argue that the best response to an expert telling you that you are wrong is to fix the problem. While your feelings do matter, the stability of the kernel matters more, and you cannot discount Linus's message because you think it is too emotional in tone. At the end of the day, Linus is right, Linus created the project, Linus is leading the project, and he is using strong language to inform you that he needs John to change his approach to this problem for the sake of the project.

On a slightly more pragmatic note, Linus would not be angry if John hadn't been trying to break Rule Number 1 for three weeks in a row, so an alternative solution is to simply not break the rules. Granted, if you disagree with the rules on a fundamental level, that doesn't work--so, third solution: leave and start your own project.