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> If your job depends on some upstream bug being fixed, it increases potential tensions. Same problem with commercial software: if you need a bug fixed asap th

by arkh 2y ago

> If your job depends on some upstream bug being fixed, it increases potential tensions. Same problem with commercial software: if you need a bug fixed asap there are not a lot of solutions. At least with open source software you can fork and fix while waiting for the upstream resolution. But you can also go the commercial way of doing things: contact their sales dept and shell out what they're asking for to prioritize your problem. I'm sure some open source maintainer would be happy to make your bug their next priority for a big enough payment.

ghaff 2y ago
>there are not a lot of solutions Not a lot but you pretty much always have the option of engaging with consulting. $$$ of course. If it's really a bug rather than some sort of fork, not too bad. Presumably the bug will simply be fixed, albeit prioritized. Otherwise not clear if your different use case will be maintained other than in maybe a customized way. It is easier with open source though also albeit not a perfect solution if you're out of the mainstream.
carlosjobim 2y ago
> Same problem with commercial software: if you need a bug fixed asap there are not a lot of solutions. I purchase software for MacOS, and whenever I've contacted developers about a bug, they've usually resolved it within a few days at most. If I submit a bug report for FOSS it gets ignored for years at best. You get what you pay for.
- ghaff 2y ago
  Purchased software presumably has some level of dedicated support staff whether the primary developer or something else. I don't expect someone who developed as a hobby to be "on call" or to prioritize a request--and it may be pretty inactive in many cases.
  - carlosjobim 2y ago
    That's what's great about it. And if a paying customer gives feedback, you already know that they represent an important user segment that are worth listening to: Paying customers.
    - ghaff 2y ago
      When I did shareware, I did have some pretty dedicated beta testers who were good sources of input. It wasn't the money--heck, they payed me something like $15. But, yeah, I agree in general. If you're a business the feedback of paying customers is pretty much what matters.
- surajrmal 2y ago
  Why is there an expectation that a bug you filed against an open source project should get resolved? If you expect a solution there usually requires that you take some effort and contribute. In larger projects there may be more interested parties that are simply looking for work (eg college students trying to build a resume), but maintainers themselves are not necessarily obligated to fix your problems. I very much hope it becomes the norm that all filed bugs should have bounties associated with fixing them.
  - carlosjobim 2y ago
    > Why is there an expectation that a bug you filed against an open source project should get resolved? There is no such expectation and that's why I always avoid open source software and am happy to pay a fair price for high quality software. > If you expect a solution there usually requires that you take some effort and contribute. I'm not a programmer, and neither are 99% of computer users. We are happy to contribute with our cash money for working solutions. > I very much hope it becomes the norm that all filed bugs should have bounties associated with fixing them. That's the only fair solution.
    - ghaff 2y ago
      Projects vs. products. There are commercial open source-based products (e.g. from Red Hat that I used to work for) that have the same sort of support that other enterprise software products have. And there are the upstream projects (that Red Hat contributes to and interacts with). There is no expectation about contributing to open source products other than paying money to a commercial provider. There are a variety of reasons why you may benefit from them being open source-based but they don't come with any particular expectation of contributing upstream directly as a user.

by arkh 2y ago

ghaff 2y ago

>there are not a lot of solutions Not a lot but you pretty much always have the option of engaging with consulting. $$$ of course. If it's really a bug rather than some sort of fork, not too bad. Presumably the bug will simply be fixed, albeit prioritized. Otherwise not clear if your different use case will be maintained other than in maybe a customized way. It is easier with open source though also albeit not a perfect solution if you're out of the mainstream.

carlosjobim 2y ago

> Same problem with commercial software: if you need a bug fixed asap there are not a lot of solutions. I purchase software for MacOS, and whenever I've contacted developers about a bug, they've usually resolved it within a few days at most. If I submit a bug report for FOSS it gets ignored for years at best. You get what you pay for.

ghaff 2y ago
Purchased software presumably has some level of dedicated support staff whether the primary developer or something else. I don't expect someone who developed as a hobby to be "on call" or to prioritize a request--and it may be pretty inactive in many cases.
- carlosjobim 2y ago
  That's what's great about it. And if a paying customer gives feedback, you already know that they represent an important user segment that are worth listening to: Paying customers.
  - ghaff 2y ago
    When I did shareware, I did have some pretty dedicated beta testers who were good sources of input. It wasn't the money--heck, they payed me something like $15. But, yeah, I agree in general. If you're a business the feedback of paying customers is pretty much what matters.
surajrmal 2y ago
Why is there an expectation that a bug you filed against an open source project should get resolved? If you expect a solution there usually requires that you take some effort and contribute. In larger projects there may be more interested parties that are simply looking for work (eg college students trying to build a resume), but maintainers themselves are not necessarily obligated to fix your problems. I very much hope it becomes the norm that all filed bugs should have bounties associated with fixing them.
- carlosjobim 2y ago
  > Why is there an expectation that a bug you filed against an open source project should get resolved? There is no such expectation and that's why I always avoid open source software and am happy to pay a fair price for high quality software. > If you expect a solution there usually requires that you take some effort and contribute. I'm not a programmer, and neither are 99% of computer users. We are happy to contribute with our cash money for working solutions. > I very much hope it becomes the norm that all filed bugs should have bounties associated with fixing them. That's the only fair solution.
  - ghaff 2y ago
    Projects vs. products. There are commercial open source-based products (e.g. from Red Hat that I used to work for) that have the same sort of support that other enterprise software products have. And there are the upstream projects (that Red Hat contributes to and interacts with). There is no expectation about contributing to open source products other than paying money to a commercial provider. There are a variety of reasons why you may benefit from them being open source-based but they don't come with any particular expectation of contributing upstream directly as a user.