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“I'm basically giving myself a permanent vacation from being BDFL”

(mail.python.org)
2024 points randlet | 7 comments | 12 Jul 18 15:22 UTC | HN request time: 1.357s | source | bottom
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TheMagicHorsey ◴[12 Jul 18 20:54 UTC] No.17518505[source]▶
I don't know if it's just me, but if you read the forums and bug reports related to open source projects, it feels like programmers today are a really entitled lot.

The tone that people take when filing bug reports for what is basically free software is reprehensible. People are doing work for FREE to benefit you, and you take a tone with them like you are a prince and they are your royal goblet holders? Who taught these human beings their manners?

I totally understand the frustration when you write a large system in Python and then the Python committee makes a breaking change that makes your life very difficult. However, you didn't pay for Python! These sorts of changes should be expected, and if you didn't expect it, you are the fool. And in any case, you aren't paying these people a cent, so speak politely to them. You are basically a charity case from their perspective.

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1. newen ◴[12 Jul 18 20:58 UTC] No.17518544[source]▶
In the majority of cases, they are getting paid to code it (by some company, organization, etc). And they benefit from the popularity of the the software. So I don't think I need to see myself as a charity case or adopt a please please please attitude with them.
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2. domoritz ◴[12 Jul 18 21:08 UTC] No.17518624[source]▶
Where do you get "in the majority of cases" from? https://twitter.com/NumFOCUS/status/1017418416725155840.
3. about_help ◴[12 Jul 18 21:16 UTC] No.17518682[source]▶
Agreed. No need to be a dick, but bug reports are often pretty cut and dry and often some frustration does leak into the tone. Any big project, whether code or some local government thing, will have some level of assholes.
4. habosa ◴[12 Jul 18 21:23 UTC] No.17518738[source]▶
I maintain a number of open source projects for Google. So yes I am paid to do it and yes the company benefits from it. That said, it doesn't mean that developers who use it can take an entitled stance and expect to get anywhere.

I get so many bug reports like "This sux and you have to fix it!!!!" and even when I wake up on the right side of the bed, there's nothing I can do with those.

A calm discussion of what the developer is trying to achieve, what they expect to happen, what actually happens, and how I can reproduce will get a quick response from me 100% of the time.

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5. hangonhn ◴[12 Jul 18 22:14 UTC] No.17519062[source]▶
Also, the paid vs. unpaid is a BS argument. Even if you were paid, it's not the complaining user who's paying you so how can they feel entitled to your time? Some people...

That said, when someone open sources something there isn an implicit "contract" between the developers and users. The users' feedback helps the developers and in return they get something valuable. It's more of a group effort rather than some one directional flow of power. I've seen projects where these relationships weren't properly managed or where one group didn't appreciate the other and the end result is always the same: dead projects.

6. pertymcpert ◴[12 Jul 18 23:15 UTC] No.17519401[source]▶
You are a charity case.
7. ychen306 ◴[13 Jul 18 02:28 UTC] No.17520101[source]▶
In your case, it only means you owe Google, but not the other user.