3 ms·

After reading the article, I don't understand why the author didn't fix the bug himself.

by pif 10y ago

mnemonicsloth 10y ago
Are you sure you aren't being passive aggressive? This is a problem with open source software. If you point out a problem one person at least will tell you that you should be the one to fix it.
- Analemma_ 10y ago
  Maybe, but it's hard to be moved and stirred by the author's ethical call to action in the last sentence when he himself clearly can't overcome the behavior he's complaining about.
  - mordocai 10y ago
    So you are only allowed to point out problems that you yourself don't suffer from?
- ZenoArrow 10y ago
  It's not a problem with open source software. People who raise reproducible bugs are helping a project to develop, not everyone has to be a coder. However, there's an important difference between commercial software and open source software, which is related to the voluntary nature of open source. Unless they're paid to work on open source, someone will become an open source developer by 'scratching their own itch', in other words putting the effort in to improve something that matters to them. Knowing this should be reflected in the attitude of those that find issues. Quite a few times I've seen people get annoyed at developers for not fixing their bugs. Simply put, the developers owe you nothing, they give up their free time to do what they enjoy. Any bug raising should be done respectfully, and the times I've seen the 'you should be the one to fix it' response tend to be after someone is indirectly telling someone else how to use their free time.
michaelt 10y ago
If my employer's interests are better served by a 1 hour workaround, rather than an 8-hour open source contribution effort, professionalism requires that I do the former.
- jdmichal 10y ago
  More importantly, if it's a problem you found and fixed on company time, the fix is now IP belonging to your employer. You would need the company to release the code to the project. That's not something you can unilaterally do on your own unless there's a prior agreement about it.

After reading the article, I don't understand why the author didn't fix the bug himself.

by pif 10y ago

After reading the article, I don't understand why the author didn't fix the bug himself.

Are you sure you aren't being passive aggressive? This is a problem with open source software. If you point out a problem one person at least will tell you that you should be the one to fix it.

Analemma_ 10y ago
Maybe, but it's hard to be moved and stirred by the author's ethical call to action in the last sentence when he himself clearly can't overcome the behavior he's complaining about.
- mordocai 10y ago
  So you are only allowed to point out problems that you yourself don't suffer from?
ZenoArrow 10y ago
It's not a problem with open source software. People who raise reproducible bugs are helping a project to develop, not everyone has to be a coder. However, there's an important difference between commercial software and open source software, which is related to the voluntary nature of open source. Unless they're paid to work on open source, someone will become an open source developer by 'scratching their own itch', in other words putting the effort in to improve something that matters to them. Knowing this should be reflected in the attitude of those that find issues. Quite a few times I've seen people get annoyed at developers for not fixing their bugs. Simply put, the developers owe you nothing, they give up their free time to do what they enjoy. Any bug raising should be done respectfully, and the times I've seen the 'you should be the one to fix it' response tend to be after someone is indirectly telling someone else how to use their free time.

michaelt 10y ago

If my employer's interests are better served by a 1 hour workaround, rather than an 8-hour open source contribution effort, professionalism requires that I do the former.

jdmichal 10y ago
More importantly, if it's a problem you found and fixed on company time, the fix is now IP belonging to your employer. You would need the company to release the code to the project. That's not something you can unilaterally do on your own unless there's a prior agreement about it.