On Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 09:48:04AM +0000, [email protected] wrote: > Quoting Olav Vitters <[email protected]>: > > >>but few can contribute code - which seems to be the sole focus. > > > >In case you're not aware: Yes, it is a meritocracy. Don't see how this > >is a sole problem of Free Software though. > > No closed source development project I have ever been involved in > could ever be described as a meritocracy, unless you consider the > ability to pay me as 'merit'. If a project manager, tester or > anyone else doesn't like something I have to fix it - it's not up to > me. Even when I have done independant contracts if the customer > doesn't like something they generally just withold payment until > it's fixed. I simply don't have the option of saying no or ignoring > user complaints - and to be honest the software is better for it.
The "Don't see how this is a sole problem of Free Software though" is a response to the 'few can contribute code'. I do not consider meritocracy to be a problem. Your reply refers to my meritocracy statement. Further, you sometimes mix a small software business with e.g. something like Microsoft. Makes it a bit difficult to give responses. > >Don't want to be negative, but I guess you have some pet peeve you want > >fixed asap and nobody looked at it? > > My pet peeve is that despite grand gestures and statements the > closest that any Linux distro has come to taking usability seriously > is talking about a new theme. It's been half a decade since I > started talking about the serious usability problems in open source. You're mixing distributions, GNOME and companies various times. I am helping GNOME. My interest is not much wider than that. > I do want to help, but I suppose I have just become jaded due to the > apparent lack of progress and the lack of seriousness with which the > problem is treated. All I am trying to do is identify, from my > experience, where I think the problems lie. -- Regards, Olav _______________________________________________ Usability mailing list [email protected] http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/usability
