Comments on: The terror of “users” http://izumi.plan99.net/blog/index.php/2006/05/21/the-terror-of-users/ Ecchi nanowa ikenai to omoimasu Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:30:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: lucmars http://izumi.plan99.net/blog/index.php/2006/05/21/the-terror-of-users/#comment-210 lucmars Mon, 22 May 2006 17:01:46 +0000 http://izumi.plan99.net/blog/index.php/2006/05/21/the-terror-of-users/#comment-210 I think that people don't understand yet that one cannot treat every open source project on the same basis. If the project is just an other app in an already explored domain, it's hard to get an user base which will be committed in the developement ; unless the project brings something else than the usual. If there is the choice, one simply tries the other app and one doesn't send any feedback. With an user base, the things go faster and one doesn't bother with some barking dogs. But most of the time, this arise in some particular domain, where the choice is limited, or where everything is to do. People don't see that or don't even think about that : if they discover the open source, they don't play neccesarly the game and if they know what is it, they cannot argue a supposed inflexible tradition. Finally, a point of psychology underlies that : one is more encline to support something that one really needs ; otherwise if the need is already satisfied, one doesn't bother. I think that people don’t understand yet that one cannot treat every open source project on the same basis. If the project is just an other app in an already explored domain, it’s hard to get an user base which will be committed in the developement ; unless the project brings something else than the usual. If there is the choice, one simply tries the other app and one doesn’t send any feedback.
With an user base, the things go faster and one doesn’t bother with some barking dogs. But most of the time, this arise in some particular domain, where the choice is limited, or where everything is to do.
People don’t see that or don’t even think about that : if they discover the open source, they don’t play neccesarly the game and if they know what is it, they cannot argue a supposed inflexible tradition.
Finally, a point of psychology underlies that : one is more encline to support something that one really needs ; otherwise if the need is already satisfied, one doesn’t bother.

]]> By: Rob http://izumi.plan99.net/blog/index.php/2006/05/21/the-terror-of-users/#comment-201 Rob Mon, 22 May 2006 08:46:13 +0000 http://izumi.plan99.net/blog/index.php/2006/05/21/the-terror-of-users/#comment-201 You have a point Hongli. Those leechers will + Whine if they encounter a bug instead of filing it + Whine if the bug is fixed in cvs and there's no release yet + Whine if there is a release but it's not packaged by their distro yet + Whine if the newer release of their distro has the fix but they haven't upgraded yet. They confuse the freedom of source code with freedom of bugging people because of the availability of free communication channels that don't exist for commercial products. My advice: ignore. You have a point Hongli. Those leechers will
+ Whine if they encounter a bug instead of filing it
+ Whine if the bug is fixed in cvs and there’s no release yet
+ Whine if there is a release but it’s not packaged by their distro yet
+ Whine if the newer release of their distro has the fix but they
haven’t upgraded yet.
They confuse the freedom of source code with freedom of bugging people because of the availability of free communication channels that don’t exist for commercial products.
My advice: ignore.

]]> By: Hongli http://izumi.plan99.net/blog/index.php/2006/05/21/the-terror-of-users/#comment-182 Hongli Sun, 21 May 2006 16:08:37 +0000 http://izumi.plan99.net/blog/index.php/2006/05/21/the-terror-of-users/#comment-182 Unfortunately it's not just one looney. I see more and more of that kind of comments. Unfortunately it’s not just one looney. I see more and more of that kind of comments.

]]> By: Mike Hearn http://izumi.plan99.net/blog/index.php/2006/05/21/the-terror-of-users/#comment-181 Mike Hearn Sun, 21 May 2006 16:01:28 +0000 http://izumi.plan99.net/blog/index.php/2006/05/21/the-terror-of-users/#comment-181 I don't think you should extrapolate the rantings of one loonie to all users :) I don’t think you should extrapolate the rantings of one loonie to all users :)

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