Thus spake Malcolm Silberman ([EMAIL PROTECTED]):
> I have been watching the many hundreds of lines of silliness over the
> last day or so. Folks these arguments make no sense. To me its a case of
> the more newbie's the better.
> Because, that means more people spread the word, more corporations, more
> installs, more cock-up's, more success stories, more work for the
> experts, more input from the field, release 1.04. That's the foundation
> of the open source movement.
I beg to differ.
The more newbies get on my nerves as a software author, the more I get
discouraged to release new versions because they will attract even more
idiots that will pester me to demand help following the idiot-proof
documentation.
Many a software author got burn-out this way.
I am currently mostly developing software that is expressly not targeted
at Redhat lusers, because I have no intention to get even more dumb
emails.
> That's the way open source is supposed to work.
Maybe.
Open Source is for suits like you.
Free Software, in contrast, is supposed to work like this:
I write good software.
Others help me.
The software gets better.
Currently, it's more like this:
I write good software.
Millions of brain-dead lusers ask dumb questions.
I get discouraged and stop supporting my product.
Some newbie takes over the project and the quality goes down the drain.
> Make it open, spread the word, provide a community of support,
> encourage others. Soon it can't be stopped - Linux style.
I don't care for software that can't be stopped.
We had that before with MS-DOS and Windows.
I care for high quality software.
> Forget the grammar, forget the spelling, forget the soup nazi's -
> realize where the bread is buttered. Kill the newbie's and you kill the
> product. If they ask a stupid question, ignore it - quite easy really.
> Bandwidth arguments are a poor excuse.
Malcolm, please go back to your business school.
Your disguise as open source apostle failed miserably when you took the
word "product" in your mouth.
I write software, not products.
Felix
