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Somehow it feels wrong to be using Open Source software based on the authors' promotion efforts rather than the software's merit. It'd be better to have fewer e
by lazyjones 7y ago
Somehow it feels wrong to be using Open Source software based on the authors' promotion efforts rather than the software's merit. It'd be better to have fewer evangelists and more meticulous developers. Then again, just like startups, mediocre projects can gain traction and improve significantly by attracting decent developers with a good vision/mission statement/presentation.
- toper-centage 7y agoBut I think the point is that users can't learn about projects that deserve that merit unless they become popular.
- lazyjones 7y agoUseful projects will become popular eventually through word-of-mouth, but nowadays they have to fight promotion efforts by the less useful competition. That's what I don't like...
- rabidrat 7y agoThese days, people often won't even try software with merit unless it has corresponding promotion. Someone mentioned my open-source tool on Twitter recently as an easier solution to someone's problem, and the person with the problem said "well it doesn't sound easier to me to learn a new tool I've never heard of". Even though of course they were hearing about it just then :) So it doesn't matter how good the tool is, people have to have "heard of" it multiple times (i.e. the tool has to be actively "promoted") before they will start to use it.