4 ms·

> If you use this, I owe you nothing. Sure the legalese states I owe nothing, but if I’ve shared the code, written some documentation, and encouraged others to

> If you use this, I owe you nothing. Sure the legalese states I owe nothing, but if I’ve shared the code, written some documentation, and encouraged others to use it as I have on a few projects… … I feel as though I do owe something. I feel like I’ve made a sort of social contract to provide a bit of support on what I’ve, er, “supplied”. Not really sure why.

01HNNWZ0MV43FF 3y ago
The same happens in literature. Frankly I feel like George r. R. Martin slightly owes his readers an ending, since some of the appeal of long stories is that they promise payoffs towards the end. With software I actually understand it less. I don't do "cargo add" and then think "just imagine how good chapter 2 will be!"
- gorjusborg 3y ago
  I have always thought the attitude that a creator 'owes' a sequel to fans as extreme entitlement on the part of those fans. So I think the analogy is good, but I disagree that the creator ever owes anything to ones benefitting from their initial work.
  - 01HNNWZ0MV43FF 3y ago
    I'm saying people probably don't download software expecting for the next version to make it worthwhile, but they often read books on an implied promise that the story threads will eventually be all tied up. Objectively, yes, it's entitlement. All you can really do is avoid pop culture entirely and not start a series until the author is done writing, I guess
ozim 3y ago
I would say "I owe you nothing" should be directed at companies that would like to push maintainers to do fixes because they need them. I believe that maintainer by participating in FOSS getting followers/contributors owes to the community good stewardship so maintenance and at least keeping security fixes and nasty bugs prioritized. If someone doesn't want the burden then no need to publish stuff or publish it and actively discourage the use, but usually people publish and try to build a community, but when one has built a community, it comes with responsibilities as well.
di4na 3y ago
Why would you owe them something if you already provided the code and docs?
CRConrad 3y ago
> … I feel as though I do owe something. I feel like I’ve made a sort of social contract to provide a bit of support on what I’ve, er, “supplied”. Seems to me like the main -- or only -- thing you need to fix are your feelings.

01HNNWZ0MV43FF 3y ago

The same happens in literature. Frankly I feel like George r. R. Martin slightly owes his readers an ending, since some of the appeal of long stories is that they promise payoffs towards the end. With software I actually understand it less. I don't do "cargo add" and then think "just imagine how good chapter 2 will be!"

gorjusborg 3y ago
I have always thought the attitude that a creator 'owes' a sequel to fans as extreme entitlement on the part of those fans. So I think the analogy is good, but I disagree that the creator ever owes anything to ones benefitting from their initial work.
- 01HNNWZ0MV43FF 3y ago
  I'm saying people probably don't download software expecting for the next version to make it worthwhile, but they often read books on an implied promise that the story threads will eventually be all tied up. Objectively, yes, it's entitlement. All you can really do is avoid pop culture entirely and not start a series until the author is done writing, I guess

ozim 3y ago

I would say "I owe you nothing" should be directed at companies that would like to push maintainers to do fixes because they need them. I believe that maintainer by participating in FOSS getting followers/contributors owes to the community good stewardship so maintenance and at least keeping security fixes and nasty bugs prioritized. If someone doesn't want the burden then no need to publish stuff or publish it and actively discourage the use, but usually people publish and try to build a community, but when one has built a community, it comes with responsibilities as well.

di4na 3y ago

Why would you owe them something if you already provided the code and docs?

CRConrad 3y ago

> … I feel as though I do owe something. I feel like I’ve made a sort of social contract to provide a bit of support on what I’ve, er, “supplied”. Seems to me like the main -- or only -- thing you need to fix are your feelings.