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> Bug reports are a developer thing because they are also the ones at the receiving end From my time working in shared platform technologies and open source I

by oooyay 3y ago

> Bug reports are a developer thing because they are also the ones at the receiving end From my time working in shared platform technologies and open source I beg to differ. The fact that someone is a developer does not mean they'll make a quality bug report. There's probably something else about Linux that makes the self-selection clearer or increases the ease of generating quality bug reports.

chii 3y ago
Having a deep technical understanding (which is likely due to using Linux) is a prerequisite for good bug reports.
- account42 3y ago
  I think a part is also motivation - there aren't many devs that care to support Linux so when someone does provide a Linux version I am more inclined to help out in making it work. The other part is culture. Linux users are used to having access to bug trackers where they can get responses from actual developers of the software in question. Not that this means you will always get your issue fixed or are even guaranteed a response but IMO the experience is much better than having to dig through a help desk that only answers trivial things that any competent user can figure out on their own before being allowed to interact with a corporate support drone who can't do anything except repeat scripted answers. The latter is just so demotivating that if you have go through it enough end up not bothering in the future even if some developers might have better systems in place. Being used to having access to developers also encourages you to make good bug reports because those will often get you a fix quickly. E.g. I have had cases where it took only a few hours from a bug report with a game trace reproducing the issue to a working graphics driver patch. Lastly, actual bug trackers - as opposed to bug black holes like support systems where you don't see other people's reports or bug report forums that quikcly become a mess of already resolved issues and duplicates - provide an opportunity for the users (especially powerusers) to help each other out by sharing details to narrow down the bug as well as workarounds. All of that also makes the bug reports more useful for any dev looking at fixing the issue.
- williamcotton 3y ago
  Do you think you could file a bug report about the mistimed light signals at an intersection between a highway frontage road and a commuter rail crossing? Would you include the time and date? The names of the roads? The sequence that the lights follow? The length of time of each signal? The max length of cars at each signal during the sequence? Generally attempting to provide what the person who might receive such a bug report would need? Tell me, what qualities are actually required to communicate the details of a system deemed to be operating incorrectly? Perhaps empathy, gumption and intelligence, that is, qualities that are not limited to those experienced with moving Jira tickets to the right?
  - chii 3y ago
    All those qualities are indicative of a detail oriented mind that have the ability to imagine more than just their immediate desire and actions. These qualities are what you would consider to be "technical understanding". Most people don't have these qualities, unfortunately. Not because they aren't _capable_ of obtaining them, but because they don't care to want to.

by oooyay 3y ago

chii 3y ago

Having a deep technical understanding (which is likely due to using Linux) is a prerequisite for good bug reports.

account42 3y ago
I think a part is also motivation - there aren't many devs that care to support Linux so when someone does provide a Linux version I am more inclined to help out in making it work. The other part is culture. Linux users are used to having access to bug trackers where they can get responses from actual developers of the software in question. Not that this means you will always get your issue fixed or are even guaranteed a response but IMO the experience is much better than having to dig through a help desk that only answers trivial things that any competent user can figure out on their own before being allowed to interact with a corporate support drone who can't do anything except repeat scripted answers. The latter is just so demotivating that if you have go through it enough end up not bothering in the future even if some developers might have better systems in place. Being used to having access to developers also encourages you to make good bug reports because those will often get you a fix quickly. E.g. I have had cases where it took only a few hours from a bug report with a game trace reproducing the issue to a working graphics driver patch. Lastly, actual bug trackers - as opposed to bug black holes like support systems where you don't see other people's reports or bug report forums that quikcly become a mess of already resolved issues and duplicates - provide an opportunity for the users (especially powerusers) to help each other out by sharing details to narrow down the bug as well as workarounds. All of that also makes the bug reports more useful for any dev looking at fixing the issue.
williamcotton 3y ago
Do you think you could file a bug report about the mistimed light signals at an intersection between a highway frontage road and a commuter rail crossing? Would you include the time and date? The names of the roads? The sequence that the lights follow? The length of time of each signal? The max length of cars at each signal during the sequence? Generally attempting to provide what the person who might receive such a bug report would need? Tell me, what qualities are actually required to communicate the details of a system deemed to be operating incorrectly? Perhaps empathy, gumption and intelligence, that is, qualities that are not limited to those experienced with moving Jira tickets to the right?
- chii 3y ago
  All those qualities are indicative of a detail oriented mind that have the ability to imagine more than just their immediate desire and actions. These qualities are what you would consider to be "technical understanding". Most people don't have these qualities, unfortunately. Not because they aren't _capable_ of obtaining them, but because they don't care to want to.