Re: [Usability] Reaching Users

[mac_v <drkvi-a yahoo com>]

On Thu, 2009-12-10 at 17:35 +0000, kerberos piestar net wrote:
> Quoting Shaun McCance <shaunm gnome org>:
> 
> > On Thu, 2009-12-10 at 09:48 +0000, kerberos piestar net wrote:
> >> Quoting Olav Vitters <olav bkor dhs org>:
> >>
> >> >> but few can contribute code - which seems to be the sole focus.
> >> >
> >> > In case you're not aware: Yes, it is a meritocracy. Don't see how this
> >> > is a sole problem of Free Software though.
> >>
> >> No closed source development project I have ever been involved in
> >> could ever be described as a meritocracy, unless you consider the
> >> ability to pay me as 'merit'.  If a project manager, tester or anyone
> >> else doesn't like something I have to fix it - it's not up to me.
> >> Even when I have done independant contracts if the customer doesn't
> >> like something they generally just withold payment until it's fixed.
> >> I simply don't have the option of saying no or ignoring user
> >> complaints - and to be honest the software is better for it.
> >
> > We're not running a company; we're running a community.  The
> > methods that work with paid employees don't necessarily work
> > with volunteers.  I'm not trying to use volunteerism as an
> > excuse, but there are things that just don't work.
> 
> I don't disagree.  I just feel that it could be improved and the  
> community could be more involved in a two way dialogue than they  
> currently are now.  The community seems to be more about support than  
> actual contribution and I think that's a shame.
> 

It is really easy to preach but its difficult to follow , i guess.

While you so passionately talk about the usability not being taken care
of and call for more involvement from the community , you need to be
willing to do your part for the community too.

Why i mention this is due to your reluctance to respond to your bug
reports and just say you lost interest >

On Thu, 2009-12-10 at 08:51 +0000, kerberos piestar net wrote: 
> It was an automated reply two and a half years later.  Obviously I  
> wasn't interested anymore as I wasn't using it anymore.  Who's to say  
> that if I did as it suggested it wouldn't give me the same autoreply  
> in another two years?
> 

Just an FYI , those bug report replies are not automated responses. 
They are scripted responses from people who have taken time to read your
bug report. Granted it took time for them to respond , but that does not
minuscule their effort. Atleast they responded. 

All you had to do was to reply "Yes , the problem still exists."

By not replying to the bug report you have failed to contribute to the
community.

While it is easy to say others are not doing enough , I think you need
to step back and realize that there aernt enough people to fix
everything. And everyone needs to contribute as much as possible from
their end too.

There aernt enough people even as of today , so imagine the number of
contributors 3yrs ago. Which is probably why the bug report got lost in
the first place.



-- 
Cheers,
mac_v