Re: GNOME 2.23 Schedule

[Jonathon Jongsma <jonathon quotidian org>]

On Wed, 2008-03-19 at 01:04 +0200, Felipe Contreras wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 19, 2008 at 12:31 AM, Jonathon Jongsma
> <jonathon quotidian org> wrote:
> > On 3/18/08, Felipe Contreras <felipe contreras gmail com> wrote:
> >  > I'm a GNOME user and FOSS developer that would like to know which are
> >  >  the features users want. Knowing that is a step closer into making a
> >  >  consequential contribution.
> >  >
> >  >  Now I know d-d-l is not the right place for that, neither is the GNOME
> >  >  community, I'll better start on Ubuntu brainstorm, like apparently a
> >  >  lot of people are doing.
> >
> >  I really don't understand the tone of the exchanges here.  It seems to
> >  be verging on hostility but I don't understand why.
> >
> >  Felipe, your original post in this thread (which was completely
> >  unrelated to the thread topic of a release schedule) was:
> >
> > "Still the input from the user-base is not considered?"
> 
> Sorry if I sounded unpolite, that was not my intention.
> 
> I have tried to bring this issue before. I think the users should be
> involved in the roadmaping process at least indirectly.
> 
> When a user/potential-developer sees the RoadMap page I guess the
> first reaction is: I can't provide feedback.
> 
> >  Basically, you accused GNOME developers of not caring what users want
> >  (in a not particularly polite way).  From what I understand, the
> >  reason that you think this is because GNOME has not created a
> >  'brainstorm' application like ubuntu did (and dell before them...).
> >  Is this a correct summary of your position?  Or is there something
> >  else that you are upset about?
> 
> I just wanted to see what users want. The fact that that information
> is nowhere available means that developers are missing important
> feedback, and some users' needs are being ignored.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, I think you are doing a great job, I just don't
> see anything interesting for me to contribute in the RoadMap.
> 
> I prefer the quick visibility that the Ubuntu brainstorm is providing,
> so I'm going to use that.

OK, fair enough.  Personally, I think something like the 'brainstorm'
app could be useful for GNOME to gauge user interest in particular
features.  But it's not without its drawbacks.  If you are interested in
something like that, and want to implement it (or try to convince others
to build it for you), more power to you.  Nobody will stop you.
However, I don't think that basing development decisions *only* on a
'brainstorm'-type app is a good idea.  For example, users often suggest
things that are mere band-aids when the solution to a problem may
require a more comprehensive approach. The other problem with a
'brainstorm'-type application is that it overlaps the bug tracker to
some extent.  In fact, browsing the ubuntu brainstorm site, I see a lot
of stuff that should probably just be filed as enhancement requests or
bug reports in the bug tracker, but they're posted to brainstorm
instead.  This means that developers either have to look two places, or
spend time moving those things to the bugtracker.  (to make things even
more confusing, most of those ideas are actually about GNOME, so they're
two levels removed from where they really should be reported: ubuntu
brainstorm -> ubuntu bugtracker -> gnome bugzilla)
So, I hope I've made it clear that a 'brainstorm' app is not without its
disadvantages (but I still think that it could be a useful thing if done
right).  The fact that GNOME doesn't have something like that does not
necessarily mean that we don't care about what users think.  We just
have a limited amount of time and already have more things to do than
people to do them.
-- 
Jonner