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A comment on Show HN: uPlot.js – An exceptionally fast, tiny time series chart. Parent comment

Re:Show HN: uPlot.js – An exceptionally fast, tiny time seri... by gitgud on Thursday October 10, 2019 @02:23AM (#21211512)
> no one is paying me to write extra code (or any code, really)

Fair enough, I understand the mentality, it's not easy developing and maintaining packages in your spare time...

But it's important to remember that thousands of hours of frustrated google searches:

    'error: something not found'
Could be prevented with a single helpful error message for the user...
[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Show HN: uPlot.js – An exceptionally fast, tiny time seri... by ryannevius on Thursday October 10, 2019 @02:38AM (#21211588)
> But it's important to remember that thousands of hours of frustrated google searches

And don't forget about support requests posted to the "issues" in the repo itself.

[ Parent | on HN ]
Re:Show HN: uPlot.js – An exceptionally fast, tiny time seri... by _squared_ on Thursday October 10, 2019 @03:54AM (#21211962)
As an open-source maintainer, helpful error/debug messages is the key to reduce the number of GitHub issues, mails and all the other way people will track you down to ask for your help.

Ultimately spending an hour writing helpful errors can save you hundred of hours in support.

Of course you can just ignore everybody asking for help, but then if people aren't going to be able to use your project why make it open-source in the first place?

[ Parent | on HN ]