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List:       kfm-devel
Subject:    Re: Suggestion for Konquerer developers and delivering "stripped"
From:       "Kimberly Lazarski" <kim () biyn ! com>
Date:       2006-11-10 21:37:19
Message-ID: 1163194639.15239.49.camel () kimp4 ! biyn ! local
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On Fri, 2006-11-10 at 20:50 +0100, Thiago Macieira wrote:
> Kimberly Lazarski wrote:
> >Please keep up the good work, and _please_
> >receive feedback from users with grace.
> 
> I have no problem doing that, as long as said user provides feedback with 
> grace. I have no interest in receiving feedback that is baseless, swears 
> or in no way helps improve the software.

Keep in mind that the users are not the professionals, but the
developers are (even if volunteers). Attitude is one of the things that
has blocked ReiserFS/Reiser 4 from mass acceptance - even if Reiser
offers some great advantages, Hans' approach to trying to get it
included in the mainline kernel has not been very diplomatic.

> 
> If someone drops to a low level when writing an email, he can expect 
> replies in kind.

He may have sunk to a low level, but that does not mean the KDE team has
to. There are two better options:

1. Accept the feedback, replying without acknowledging the crude
comments, or at least address his approach independently of the
legitimate feedback he provided

Or, if you're too offended to contain yourself:

2. Simply ignore the submission and let someone else respond if so
motivated.

Where mass acceptance of OSS is concerned, "code it yourself," "RTFM,"
and "STFU" are huge detractors, and this is where Microsoft wins (even
if they do not offer free support or any warranty). You don't see them
responding to customers online with "STFU" even if folks like me insert
a "F-bomb Microsoft" (as I admit I do, since I used to be an avid
Microsoft fan until they began treating legitimate paying customers like
criminals) in a /. discussion every time some anti-user policy is
implemented technically or via EULA restriction. You see them responding
to the points, or in the case of Vista, rethinking their approach and
easing up on some of the more fascist restrictions.

On a tangent as an example of feedback:

And when it comes to "RTFM" I'd like to mention there is precious little
documentation for KDE's back end for users and admin types to RTFM. What
is the structure of the configuration/rc/preference files? How are the
sessions stored and how can one fix a corrupt one? 

I've searched for specs and can't find any. Sure, one could download the
source and read it, but KDE is a humongous project, not one which
someone can absorb the architecture and read through in a day. I'd love
to get involved, but with a M$-centric experience with only VERY limited
Linux programming experience(all I did was some kernel hacking in the
early '90s to get X running on a Diamond videocard), I don't (yet) have
the skills necessary to get involved in a KDE project in any productive
way. White papers and other documentation are critical for adoption in
enterprise environments, because if KDE is supported largely via
self-service, "delete ~/.kde" or "delete the rc file" when Something Bad
Happens(tm) is a poor solution.

I mention this issue I've hit repeatedly because it's an example of
where many folks will respond "RTFM" or automatically say "get the
latest source from SVN/CVS and compile it" rather than taking the time
to answer the question or point users at docs which cover the issue.

By responding I wasn't intending to put anyone on the defensive or
anything like that, but to convey that this is the kind of attitude that
OSS project members need to take care to avoid, especially since there
may be many Microsoft pundits subscribed to this mailing list. All they
have to do is quote some nasty emails to users from this list and
proselytize with "See? these guys don't have their act together and all
they do is flame customers when they provide feedback" and Microsoft can
legitimately (even if out of context) use it in their Get the FUD
campaign. If nothing else, Microsoft offers excellent marketing and
excellent PR. GNU/Linux/KDE (and Gtk) can only win by being AND being
_perceived_ as the best.  In other words, turn the other cheek.

Kind regards,

Kimberly Lazarski

> 
-- 
Kimberly Lazarski
www.biyntech.com
(781) 826-2601 x1002

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