Re: Allow donations for precise bugs

[Maurizio Colucci <seguso forever tin it>]

Sean Middleditch wrote:
> On Sat, 2005-03-12 at 09:12 +0100, Maurizio Colucci wrote:
>
> > Dear friends,
> >
> > I apologize in advance for the cross-post but it seems adequate here, as this 
> > proposal involves users and developers.
> >
> >
> > IN BRIEF
> > --------
> >
> > Currently, in bugzilla, I can file bugs or propose new features. My idea is 
> > to allow users to donate money directed towards a *precise* feature or a 
> > *precise* bug.
>
>
> This is a very bad idea for one primary reason.  Users often request
> insanely stupid features.  This isn't a "the user doesn't have a
> problem" - it's, "the user invents a solution to their problem and
> specifically requests that single solution, instead of identifying their
> problem to the developers and letting the developer find a more optimal
> solution."

Sean, this seems dangerous thinking to me. Your position is similar to 
rejecting democracy because "only few people are intelligent enough to decide 
how the world should be governed".

It's true that the majority of people rarely takes the best path, yet 
democracy is the best compromise, because most of the time a decent path is 
chosen by the masses.

In other words, the problem you raise does not really exist because, if a 
feature has been accepted by the majority (democratic voting), then it will 
not be so stupid as you claim it will be.

Maurizio