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> One feature I really wish ... It's open source. Why don't you add it yourself? I wanted a borderless terminal and as I couldn't find one I hacked the functi

> One feature I really wish ... It's open source. Why don't you add it yourself? I wanted a borderless terminal and as I couldn't find one I hacked the functionality into iTerm: http://i.imgur.com/jOc04sf.jpg http://i.imgur.com/jOc04sf.jpg /edit: Wow, being downvoted for suggesting to hack something yourself on Hacker News ... that's a new one. I guess I'll take a time out.

riquito 12y ago
> It's open source. Why don't you add it yourself? In your mind a developer can realistically contribute to any possible open source project, whatever the language and the domain? He may have to learn an humongous quantity of things to implement a feature and then never use that knowledge anymore. Founding the project while asking for a feature could be a better advice.
- afarrell 12y ago
  *funding
- ryanobjc 12y ago
  *he ?
- 72deluxe 12y ago
  Wouldn't the learning be interesting though?
quarterto 12y ago
You're getting downvoted for the dismissive tone, not the content.
skue 12y ago
I agree with your sentiment and it is depressing to see you downvoted. On HN I would have hoped your comment would stimulate those familiar with the code base to offer hints of where to start hacking, rather than rapid down arrow clicks.
- danudey 12y ago
  He was downvoted for the dismissive and condescending attitude, which helps no one. The idea that anyone can work on iTerm is fantastic, but when someone posts a suggestion/request/wishlist item and is essentially told to 'do it yourself' that just comes across as hostile and unwelcoming. The exact same sentiment could have easily been posted in a friendly and welcoming manner, but that didn't happen and that's why he's getting downvoted.
jasonlotito 12y ago
> Wow, being downvoted for suggesting to hack something yourself on Hacker News ... that's a new one. I guess I'll take a time out. You'll also get downvoted for complaining about being downvoted. That's almost verboten here, and explicitly mentioned in the guidelines. When you get downvoted, accept that possible your comment detracts from the conversation. It doesn't just not add anything, but takes away. It's noise. If your first reaction is to edit your comment and complain, then that's a clear sign you aren't in the right frame of mind to contribute meaningfully. Your original comment was, if I may be so bold, cliche. Maybe that's the wrong word, but it comes up by someone with your attitude generally every time a thread about an open source project comes along. It literally is something that can go without saying.
- kordless 12y ago
  His original comment didn't lack originality because he posted something that he did that was quite interesting. I, for one, believe that anyone is capable of anything they set out to complete. I don't think noticing a polarized reaction from a community you participate in is always a transgression. No ruleset rationalizes the community's reactions 100% of the time.
jedanbik 12y ago
I upvoted you. Got a Github page to share?
cujo 12y ago
As others have pointed out, it's just an inappropriate comment. Yes it's open source, and yes, anyone can hack on it themselves. But 99.99999% of the time it's not realistic. Nearly every piece of software on my computer could be enhanced to fit me personally, but there's no way I could justify the time and energy to work on it. Also, in most cases I have no desire to learn the stack/underpinnings for a particular enhancement. Lastly, the comment comes off as condescending. Are we really not allowed to wish for things? Must we personally fix everything we find an inconvenience or problem with?
- ionforce 12y ago
  Though I agree with you, where is the stick in the ground? The OSS community's theme song has always been "you can do it yourself", even though that has long been not realistic for many people. So, nothing here is different as far as I can tell.
  - danudey 12y ago
    > The OSS community's theme song has always been "you can do it yourself" In my experience over the last 15 years, that theme song can often veer from "you can do it yourself" (empowerment) to "do it yourself" (dismissal); replying to a reasonable feature request, in any context, with 'fix it yourself' is one of the things that turned a lot of people off OSS around the time of the first 'year of linux on the desktop'. The GIMP was the best example of this, with professional graphics editors, illustrators, etc. requesting features and being told 'no one needs those features' and 'if you want it so much, do it yourself', and it hurt their image a lot with many potential users, both technical and non-technical. Personally, I'm glad that attitude has largely disappeared (though apparently, not entirely).
jason_slack 12y ago
Love your hack, I want it! LOL.
Igglyboo 12y ago
> It's open source. Why don't you add it yourself? This attitude seriously needs to die.
- akerl_ 12y ago
  The open source community cannot simultaneously use "anybody can fix bugs and add features" as one of their loudest pitches and then get offended when people suggest doing so. Either being able to dive in and fix it yourself is an edge case or it is not.
  - danudey 12y ago
    Being able to dive in and fix it yourself is definitely an edge case. Even among people who use terminals, I don't know that many who are able or willing, or who have the time or energy, to learn the codebase enough to add a feature. 'The open-source community' isn't pitching this idea and also rejecting it. 'Tone-deaf open-source proponents' are pitching it (or, in this case, suggesting it, and rudely) and regular, well-socialized people are criticizing it as a good idea poorly said.
    - akerl_ 12y ago
      Both those groups of people comprise 'the open source community'.
tlrobinson 12y ago
I dislike your comment but I like your borderless hack. Have you attempted to contribute it back?
72deluxe 12y ago
Errr are you running the Yosemite beta? I love the dark menu bars. How do you find it? Do you find the kindergarten icon colours irritating? What about the blurriness? Do you feel like you've switch to varifocal lenses and are constantly rubbing your eyes? What about the lack of Maximise/Zoom button? I don't want everything fullscreen - the menubar has MenuMeters running in it and a clock which you can't see in Fullscreen mode. I use ShiftIt to maximise the window when Zoom is being dumb and fear for my future with this insane "maximise" button removal.

riquito 12y ago

> It's open source. Why don't you add it yourself? In your mind a developer can realistically contribute to any possible open source project, whatever the language and the domain? He may have to learn an humongous quantity of things to implement a feature and then never use that knowledge anymore. Founding the project while asking for a feature could be a better advice.

afarrell 12y ago
*funding
ryanobjc 12y ago
*he ?
72deluxe 12y ago
Wouldn't the learning be interesting though?

quarterto 12y ago

You're getting downvoted for the dismissive tone, not the content.

skue 12y ago

I agree with your sentiment and it is depressing to see you downvoted. On HN I would have hoped your comment would stimulate those familiar with the code base to offer hints of where to start hacking, rather than rapid down arrow clicks.

danudey 12y ago
He was downvoted for the dismissive and condescending attitude, which helps no one. The idea that anyone can work on iTerm is fantastic, but when someone posts a suggestion/request/wishlist item and is essentially told to 'do it yourself' that just comes across as hostile and unwelcoming. The exact same sentiment could have easily been posted in a friendly and welcoming manner, but that didn't happen and that's why he's getting downvoted.

jasonlotito 12y ago

> Wow, being downvoted for suggesting to hack something yourself on Hacker News ... that's a new one. I guess I'll take a time out. You'll also get downvoted for complaining about being downvoted. That's almost verboten here, and explicitly mentioned in the guidelines. When you get downvoted, accept that possible your comment detracts from the conversation. It doesn't just not add anything, but takes away. It's noise. If your first reaction is to edit your comment and complain, then that's a clear sign you aren't in the right frame of mind to contribute meaningfully. Your original comment was, if I may be so bold, cliche. Maybe that's the wrong word, but it comes up by someone with your attitude generally every time a thread about an open source project comes along. It literally is something that can go without saying.

kordless 12y ago
His original comment didn't lack originality because he posted something that he did that was quite interesting. I, for one, believe that anyone is capable of anything they set out to complete. I don't think noticing a polarized reaction from a community you participate in is always a transgression. No ruleset rationalizes the community's reactions 100% of the time.

jedanbik 12y ago

I upvoted you. Got a Github page to share?

cujo 12y ago

As others have pointed out, it's just an inappropriate comment. Yes it's open source, and yes, anyone can hack on it themselves. But 99.99999% of the time it's not realistic. Nearly every piece of software on my computer could be enhanced to fit me personally, but there's no way I could justify the time and energy to work on it. Also, in most cases I have no desire to learn the stack/underpinnings for a particular enhancement. Lastly, the comment comes off as condescending. Are we really not allowed to wish for things? Must we personally fix everything we find an inconvenience or problem with?

ionforce 12y ago
Though I agree with you, where is the stick in the ground? The OSS community's theme song has always been "you can do it yourself", even though that has long been not realistic for many people. So, nothing here is different as far as I can tell.
- danudey 12y ago
  > The OSS community's theme song has always been "you can do it yourself" In my experience over the last 15 years, that theme song can often veer from "you can do it yourself" (empowerment) to "do it yourself" (dismissal); replying to a reasonable feature request, in any context, with 'fix it yourself' is one of the things that turned a lot of people off OSS around the time of the first 'year of linux on the desktop'. The GIMP was the best example of this, with professional graphics editors, illustrators, etc. requesting features and being told 'no one needs those features' and 'if you want it so much, do it yourself', and it hurt their image a lot with many potential users, both technical and non-technical. Personally, I'm glad that attitude has largely disappeared (though apparently, not entirely).

jason_slack 12y ago

Love your hack, I want it! LOL.

Igglyboo 12y ago

> It's open source. Why don't you add it yourself? This attitude seriously needs to die.

akerl_ 12y ago
The open source community cannot simultaneously use "anybody can fix bugs and add features" as one of their loudest pitches and then get offended when people suggest doing so. Either being able to dive in and fix it yourself is an edge case or it is not.
- danudey 12y ago
  Being able to dive in and fix it yourself is definitely an edge case. Even among people who use terminals, I don't know that many who are able or willing, or who have the time or energy, to learn the codebase enough to add a feature. 'The open-source community' isn't pitching this idea and also rejecting it. 'Tone-deaf open-source proponents' are pitching it (or, in this case, suggesting it, and rudely) and regular, well-socialized people are criticizing it as a good idea poorly said.
  - akerl_ 12y ago
    Both those groups of people comprise 'the open source community'.

tlrobinson 12y ago

I dislike your comment but I like your borderless hack. Have you attempted to contribute it back?

72deluxe 12y ago

Errr are you running the Yosemite beta? I love the dark menu bars. How do you find it? Do you find the kindergarten icon colours irritating? What about the blurriness? Do you feel like you've switch to varifocal lenses and are constantly rubbing your eyes? What about the lack of Maximise/Zoom button? I don't want everything fullscreen - the menubar has MenuMeters running in it and a clock which you can't see in Fullscreen mode. I use ShiftIt to maximise the window when Zoom is being dumb and fear for my future with this insane "maximise" button removal.