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On Tuesday 04 August 2009, Anne Wilson wrote:
> Now you're making me really angry.=20

i'm sorry you're upset, that sucks. :( try and read what i'm writing as a c=
all=20
for collective responsibility instead of having to rely on individual heroi=
cs=20
or a constant insult-defense cycle.

i really appreciate what you and other positive thinking people do in the K=
DE=20
community. but somehow we need to find a way to talk frankly about the=20
challenges we face. otherwise a deepening rift will continue to spread betw=
een=20
users and developers, throwing away so much effort so many people put into=
=20
erasing that rift in past years.

so let's try and dialog about what can actually be done about this, or abou=
t=20
what the shape of the problem actually is. maybe this isn't the best place =
for=20
it. probably not. but it's a start. if you can think of a more appropriate =
and=20
useful place to talk about this, just name it and i'll be there. :)

(btw, the easy thing for me is to just walk away from this and go "typical=
=20
f/oss user community dynamics" and pretend it isn't bad and can't be improv=
ed=20
upon anyways. but i don't like where we are as a whole (not necessarily as=
=20
individuals, however :) and so feel like it's worth it to work through it)

> You have no idea how often ordinary
> caring users do stand up to be counted, defending developers.

i'm not looking for developers to be defended. that defending has to happen=
 at=20
all is a symptom of the problem, really. there's a -cultural- malaise among=
st=20
the body of users where it is considered just fine to pick at each other,=20
throw tantrums, the whole 9 yards. and then this results in others needing =
to=20
stand up and be counted. etc, etc.=20

we don't accept that kind of behavior between contributors to the project, =
and=20
not because we police it as much as we just don't have it as part of our=20
project's culture.

now, the people who cause grief (and the people who put salve on it) are no=
t=20
usually here-and-gone type people. they tend to be part of a group of peopl=
e=20
who interact over a long period of time. that means there's some sort of=20
implied cultural system that goes along with it. and right now, that cultur=
e=20
states that free-for-alls are just fine.

i believe that it shouldn't be necessary for users to have to stand up and =
be=20
counted and defend contributors and what not so often. unfortunately, our u=
ser=20
community is anarchistic rather than based on any actual agreements or shar=
ed=20
values outside of "i am interested in open source and/or kde in specific" a=
nd=20
it has devolved to the point of being unfriendly to deal with for=20
contributors.

there are shining points of light in the sky, absolutely. including people=
=20
such as yourself, Anne. your energy should be able to go to better things t=
hat=20
dealing with the latest user outbreak. it's like medieval times out there=20
where the "peasants" revolt. and really, i think that's _part_ of the=20
challenge:

too many of the involved user population see themselves as disconnected,=20
second class citizens and as such rise up with a lot more poison than is ev=
er=20
necessary. they seem to feel that the big bad developers are out to get the=
m=20
and instead of working with us they have to wrestle with us.

this just alienates the contributors from the involved users more and more =
and=20
_creates_ a two-tiered society in some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.

it all needs to be deescalated, and the main drive will have to come from=20
within the user community. i can't do it because i am part of the "develope=
r"=20
caste, separate from "them", in too many eyes. there needs to be some=20
positive, productive movement that is more attractive and enjoyable and=20
rewarding that people can rally around and in the process marginalize the=20
trouble behaviours.

it's not a simple issue; it existed before kde 4 was around.

=2D-=20
Aaron J. Seigo
humru othro a kohnu se
GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43

KDE core developer sponsored by Qt Software

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