LHawes Wrote: 
> 
> I'm just curious as to what happened here. I didn't perceive any of the
> attacks or mean spirited accusations from the OP. Is it just because I
> agree with him? Or that I don't have anything personally at stake?

Well, I differ: this particular thread got off on a somewhat different
tact.  Even the subject sounds derogatory.
> 
> Do suggestions to improve the product have to be presented in a form
> that is acceptable to the readers and members from now on? What is that
> form?
> 

As the saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. 
And that is true of software as well (open source or not: though more
true with open source in that you have better access to developers).

If you want something to change, bring it up nicely, and if you can,
get someone who can code interested in your problem.  Let them see that
adding a WidgoMatic plugin would be cool and useful and they will want
to code it.

That said, keep realistic with the goals of what you want: some things
are Big Problems...  The Universal Doall Music Server/CD
Ripper/Burner/AlbumArtgetter is not likely to happen.  (It brings up
not only technical issues involving a ton of code to debug and support,
but also legal issues such as licensing mp3 encoders, album art, etc.)

Avoid things like "I have 939 years experience in the Widget Industry,"
and other condescending comments: it only turns people off, "Okay, if
you know so much, go do it.."

Look at how Erland's plugins have developed over the past few months:
they are really quite impressive.  But the growth has been mostly
because the comments have been polite and complimentary... of course he
enjoys working on them when he not only gets ideas for how to improve
them, he's reminded that his work is... appreciated.

Or how the MusicInfo screensaver has become the "I can replace all your
screensavers" toy that it is.  The requests are all, "wow, I can do
anything with this ... I wonder if it could handle scores from High
School football games..."  And magically a day later, it does...

I'm not saying that you need to brown-nose KDF... that would probably
annoy him. :P  But try asking with a "hey, would this work" sort of
attitude instead of "you all suck if you don't see it my way!"  (Again,
your thread started off great: you made suggestions and the comments
seemed more civil.  So, yeah, some of this is speaking-to-the choir,
and lots of the "you's" are referring to "the reader" in general and
not specifically... you. :P)

I guess the main thing is to remember it is All About The Music.  Yes,
we all have wishlists, we all want things, but ... sometimes we have to
remember as powerful as music is... it is only music.  If a song skips
it is annoying, but, it's just a song skipping... our life isn't going
to end and we don't need to be rude reporting the problem.


-- 
snarlydwarf
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View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=25462

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