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List:       kde-promo
Subject:    Re: [kde-promo] Negative feedback about KDE non-openmindedness in  german Heise-Forum
From:       Karl-Heinz Zimmer <khz () kde ! org>
Date:       2002-02-20 14:36:14
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On Wednesday 20 February 2002 14:49, Eva Brucherseifer wrote:
=2E.
> it is not really clear who decides what in KDE. There are rumours
> about some kde-private mailing list where some old gurus decide
> things...

Sorry, Eva, but I do not believe in such rumours.

> strange only, that you don't get much infos from the gurus

Please, try to be more specific: What information did you ask for and
who refused to informe you... ?

My onw experiences are very different from yours - and you may believe
me that I am _not_ one of the senior core developers: concerning KDE
I am still a learner but the feeling I got here is that decisions are
made on a very fair peer-to-peer basis: no inner circle secrets.  :-)

> and that since some time they are not the people anymore who really
> do the work.

Being a bit involved in two KDE projects (KMail and KChart) I can tell
you that, yes, the people making decisions there _are_ the people doing
the work!

Even better: The decisions are made in an open way, critics are taken
into account very seriously and things are changed quite often after
having been discussed on the respective lists...

> Maybe I misjudge the situation, but that is the impression I get with
> the information I have.

My impression (and my experiences) are very different fromy yours.

Perhaps your information sources are not reliable?  My 'source' are
my own eyes: the mails I read and write. This sources tell my that
concerning the way how and by whom KDE decisions are made are going
very good.

For me one of the major reasons why to participate in KDE development
(even if I am not one of the most contributing people) is the fine
experience of being taken seriously: by people who disagree as well
as by people who agree to what I do or say.

> It's like organizing events - I don't even get a buget in order to
> organize a professional presentation.

The KDE League issue is actively being discussed and I am sure things
will be better once a consensus has been found...

> Often I propose things and then comes some ok or not ok... without
> real arguments.

For this please take two things into account:

a) All of us are human being making mistakes.
b) If you are in a situation where you have a feeling of being treated
   in an unfair or inadaequate way, you (imho) _should_ complain with
   a loud voice.

ad (a): There will never be a project where _everything_ is making
        _everybody_ happy.

ad (b): Chances of making things clear are better if you mention your
        complaint/questions immediately and clearly.

The worst thing that can happen is: Say nothing but become frustrated.

If you are not satisfied by the way how things are going you (imho)
should _insist_ in answers _why_ this was decided like that or _why_
this was not made possible.

Insisting in receiving a reasonable answer sometimes /may/ look like
being stubborn but in the end things are clear and both you and the
'others' have a better understanding of your respective positions.

_Not_ insisting in answers might lead to frustration and/or burn-out
of your enthusiams.

> I am not sure how long I will continue this way.

:(
Seems not to be unrealistic to think about ways how to prevent burn-out.

> Pretty bad, since I otherwise like the job.

If you don't like the people _and_ the way how they interact with you
when kind of unpleasant decisions are made - then only loving the 'job'
will not be enough in the long run.

> Next topic: implementation of features.
> Yes, people like to implement their little toys and refuse to think abo=
ut
> the whole. Otherwise koffice would have a lot more developers. And the
> kicker would have had a remake. There are only very very few core
> developers who care about the whole thing. New user ideas are not even
> really discussed, esp. not, if you are not one of the holy core develop=
ers
> (except maybe if you are Eric S Raymond, see koffice-devel mailing list=
).

There is a good way how to _dramatically_ improve chances that 'new ideas=
'
are seriously been taken into account:

    Just start coding!

No need to present something perfect and ready-to-use, but having started
a new (little or large) project and actually _having_ started coding at
least a bit of it you have far better chances of attracting others than
by just mentioning the best ideas!

Imagine how you felt some time ago as somebody asked for help in porting
his application from Java to KDE: you obviously thought that this guy _ha=
s_
made some work and therefor you did not hesitate but offered your help.


Cheers,

  Karl-Heinz
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