Re:Do Open Source Software Developers Listen to Their Users?
by x0x0 on Friday August 07, 2015 @01:44PM
(#10023811)
I built a big chunk of an open source ml tool (I'm not sharing the name because I keep my life pretty private.) I think part of the problem lies in motivation. Fundamentally, I don't give a shit if anyone but me uses this software. I wrote it because I needed it, and I share it in case someone else finds it useful. Even if it isn't a perfect fit for them, it's a 300 to 500 hour head start on what they need.
Also, for me personally, I ignore users: I don't necessarily know if most of them are assholes, but many of them that interact with me are. For example, many have enormous entitlement issues about hand holding around usage, understanding the results the software gives, etc. Just because you managed the arduous feat of getting an email address and typing out a vague 2 line email, that doesn't mean I'm going to spend hours on you when it's clear you couldn't even be arsed to read the (and they do exist!) docs or usage examples. Better yet, people get pissy when you decline to act as their free consultant. And for the vast majority of people that report a bug -- which may or may not so be -- I'd estimate fewer than 10% can produce a competent bug report: version, what happened, what you expected to happen, and shape and structure of the dataset.
I used to be far more helpful but it both takes a lot of time and the weekly raging assholes -- verbal abuse, forceful demands for assistance, complaints that I didn't promptly respond to email -- that contact me really sucked all enthusiasm for working on the project out of me. I'd find a couple hours, make the mistake of reading the project tag in gmail, get upset, and just get discouraged or unmotivated.
The solution was to basically ignore all email unless they're (1) nice, (2) competent, (3) demonstrate effort on their part to find the solution themselves, (4) document the above in the email, and (5) I'm in the mood. Also, in the history of several years of email, I'm confident that fewer than 10 requests offered to pay me. Ask for my consulting rate and you have my attention.
Also, for me personally, I ignore users: I don't necessarily know if most of them are assholes, but many of them that interact with me are. For example, many have enormous entitlement issues about hand holding around usage, understanding the results the software gives, etc. Just because you managed the arduous feat of getting an email address and typing out a vague 2 line email, that doesn't mean I'm going to spend hours on you when it's clear you couldn't even be arsed to read the (and they do exist!) docs or usage examples. Better yet, people get pissy when you decline to act as their free consultant. And for the vast majority of people that report a bug -- which may or may not so be -- I'd estimate fewer than 10% can produce a competent bug report: version, what happened, what you expected to happen, and shape and structure of the dataset.
I used to be far more helpful but it both takes a lot of time and the weekly raging assholes -- verbal abuse, forceful demands for assistance, complaints that I didn't promptly respond to email -- that contact me really sucked all enthusiasm for working on the project out of me. I'd find a couple hours, make the mistake of reading the project tag in gmail, get upset, and just get discouraged or unmotivated.
The solution was to basically ignore all email unless they're (1) nice, (2) competent, (3) demonstrate effort on their part to find the solution themselves, (4) document the above in the email, and (5) I'm in the mood. Also, in the history of several years of email, I'm confident that fewer than 10 requests offered to pay me. Ask for my consulting rate and you have my attention.