Please keep it civil

[Michael Leone]

Richard A. Johnson wrote:
> If you have dislikes about a certain project, this is not the list to do it on. 

It's a "User Discusions" and User Help" list, according to it's 
description. Aren't discussions about likes/dislikes/what works/what 
doesn't part of "User Discussions"?

> This list is for free, community-based, user support and not "KDE 4 won't do 
> this or that and it sucks!"
> 
> There is nothing more that I like to do than working so hard on a project that 
> everyone constantly has something negative to say. It gets annoying really 
> fast. Threats of moving to Gnome because Ibex will be KDE 4 doesn't help your 
> cause at all, because guess what, you are still using free software, and that 
> is all that matters to me. I have been around KDE since the 1.1 days and I have 
> seen it go through good, bad, worse, and WHAT THE HECK! and never once did I 
> whine about something because I didn't like it. I have been with Linux since 
> 1994, and there was a bunch of stuff I never liked, but guess what, I had 
> options and choices, so there was bound to be something I did like, or hey, I 
> could even contribute to a project I wanted so I could like it even more. 
> Contributing isn't hard to do.

> Please have a bit of consideration when you have a problem with something, 
> especially when the only thing you might be contributing is head aches for 
> those busting their arses to get free software into the hands of many. If you 
> want to contribute something positive, there are bug reports, user support, and 
> more. Sitting around on a mailing list, a blog, or a forum flaming or 
> disrespecting a FREE project is a waste of not only the developer's time, but 
> your time as well.

If you as a developer are reading a user list, what is it you are 
expecting to hear about the program you helped develop/code from those 
users? Real reactions, or only positive things, so that you feel good 
about your efforts? Wouldn't you want to hear about problems, or the 
user's experience?

I have no opinion about KDE4, not having used it. But regardless, asking 
users to only post positive things, or else post nothing at all (and 
instead be quiet and contribute in some off-list way), is certainly not 
a good thing to be asking, IMO. Otherwise, this just turns into an 
advocacy list, where fanboys preach to the choir. And who wants that?


-- 
Michael J. Leone                  Registered Linux user #201348
<mailto:turgon at mike-leone.com>

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