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In some cases, I can imagine that users paying for open source software would be a nightmare situation for the developers. For instance, whenever I'm the sole

by moxie 14y ago

In some cases, I can imagine that users paying for open source software would be a nightmare situation for the developers. For instance, whenever I'm the sole developer of a "type 0" OSS project, supporting users is typically the most difficult part. This is because, many times, the software is something that I wanted for my own needs, and those needs have been met. The one saving grace I often have in those situations is that, as demanding as some users might be, at least it's not the potential shitstorm of a user who has paid for something and isn't completely satisfied. I even think carefully about offering a vector for donations these days. Because inevitably, it will eventually lead to a difficult to parse email from a user who wants help right now, because they just donated $2.

sliverstorm 14y ago
This is an important point, but can you not simply offer a huge disclaimer in flashing red letters that says "NO SUPPORT OFFERED" and maybe "HERE ARE THE FORUMS:"
- doktrin 14y ago
  This approach seems to have worked for Google, at any rate. As in many other situations, simply setting boundaries is often enough. In this case, user expectations.
- btilly 14y ago
  For most type 0 pieces of OSS, there are no forums to refer people to.
manmal 14y ago
In such situations I usually reply with "Sure, sounds like a great feature, make a pull request if you want that." (https://github.com/manmal/hn-android/issues/4 https://github.com/manmal/hn-android/issues/4), or I go and add the feature, of course. I also do quality assurance - if I don't like the way the pull request solves the problem, then it won't even hit the upstream.