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I have to agree a bit on the "Eierlegende Wollmilchsau". Features are not everything, regressions and degraded core functionality impact current users, which wi

I have to agree a bit on the "Eierlegende Wollmilchsau". Features are not everything, regressions and degraded core functionality impact current users, which will impact whether you are getting new users in the long run. For example, recently the number of characters before line-wraps in the MR diff view changed. Not sure if this was intentional or accidental. I know two companies using Gitlab, both based the max-line length in their style-guide on what fit the diff-viewer. I guess Gitlab became a worse tool for code-reviews for them with that change. "You need to optimize for the people not using your product yet because it is missing features." doesn't sound very fair to current users, and I don't think that will work long term.

sytse 8y ago
Thanks for that quote. I wrote that when we were much smaller. I now release it was worded to strong. I'll change it to something like: "You need to optimize for all people, both the current users and people not using GitLab yet because it is missing features" when I land. I've asked Victor to look into the max line length change.
- sytse 8y ago
  I landed and changed the text https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/commit/bc9087f9f3605630307b9aefdb3ad1dfed0dcd9c https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/commit/bc9087f9... Thanks for noticing and caring.
  - CodingDutchy 8y ago
    Very cool to see that feedback is appreciated and that change happens fast at Gitlab.
deleted 8y ago
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victorwu 8y ago
I’m not aware that we intentionally changed anything with the line wraps. But if you go to User Settings > Preferences, you can select between Fixed vs Fluid layout width. Do you recall making any changes here recently? Here’s an issue with some discussion on the design of fixed vs fluid options. https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/27347 https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/27347
- CodingDutchy 8y ago
  Thanks for replying to this. The fluid settings will help, although it is not quite the same on small laptop screens as before the change. At the same time I think the issue you link really highlights what some people have been saying: stable quality of the core product hasn't had the focus that customers would like it to have. Apparently you changed the line-wrapping behaviour twice in a year, without even realising that 1) you changed it, and 2) that some of your customers rely on this being stable. Of course you could argue that it was silly to rely on this behaviour, and that the new behaviour is in fact an improvement. But personally I think functional stability is important to all customers, and the fact that this was not a deliberate change is odd. Obviously such a small change will never drive away customers, but I do think quality is the difference between having users and having users that are also ambassadors that will recommend your product.

sytse 8y ago

Thanks for that quote. I wrote that when we were much smaller. I now release it was worded to strong. I'll change it to something like: "You need to optimize for all people, both the current users and people not using GitLab yet because it is missing features" when I land. I've asked Victor to look into the max line length change.

sytse 8y ago
I landed and changed the text https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/commit/bc9087f9f3605630307b9aefdb3ad1dfed0dcd9c https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/www-gitlab-com/commit/bc9087f9... Thanks for noticing and caring.
- CodingDutchy 8y ago
  Very cool to see that feedback is appreciated and that change happens fast at Gitlab.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

victorwu 8y ago

I’m not aware that we intentionally changed anything with the line wraps. But if you go to User Settings > Preferences, you can select between Fixed vs Fluid layout width. Do you recall making any changes here recently? Here’s an issue with some discussion on the design of fixed vs fluid options. https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/27347 https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/27347

CodingDutchy 8y ago
Thanks for replying to this. The fluid settings will help, although it is not quite the same on small laptop screens as before the change. At the same time I think the issue you link really highlights what some people have been saying: stable quality of the core product hasn't had the focus that customers would like it to have. Apparently you changed the line-wrapping behaviour twice in a year, without even realising that 1) you changed it, and 2) that some of your customers rely on this being stable. Of course you could argue that it was silly to rely on this behaviour, and that the new behaviour is in fact an improvement. But personally I think functional stability is important to all customers, and the fact that this was not a deliberate change is odd. Obviously such a small change will never drive away customers, but I do think quality is the difference between having users and having users that are also ambassadors that will recommend your product.