Need to do something
Andreas Raab
andreas.raab at gmx.de
Thu Oct 13 06:56:52 UTC 2005
Hi Tim -
Tim Rowledge wrote:
> I wouldn't hold VMMaker up as any paragon of package virtue right now.
> Bugger all has been done for ages; are there even plausibly recent VMs
> for windows and *nix? I'm still awaiting any sort of response to a
> large number of questions about future stuff and current fixes.
> Frankly, if nobody starts to show some actual interest in being
> involved I'll drop the whole frigging thing.
Well, my point still stands - any well-maintained package doesn't have a
harvesting problem (or perhaps it is the other way around? ;-) Whether
VMMaker specifically has a harvesting problem or not is a somewhat
different issue. Unless you disagree with the basic premise this isn't
invalidating my point.
Besides I will point out that you would have had a thing or two to say
if anyone would just have posted their private VMMaker version as the
newest one, wouldn't you?
> And as for complaining about people messing with Chess code - well did
> _you_ show any signs of ownership or care? Did you fix bugs, bring up
> to date etc? Yes, I'm sure you're busy but who isn't? Why would you
> expect anyone else to put in effort to maintain packages when you don't?
Okay, just for the fun of it I'll bite: Which bug in the chess game
*didn't* I fix? Name a single one and I'll concede the point. Really, I
dare you: Show me *one* bug that I didn't fix but that any of these
changes addressed and I'll concede the point. Fact is, none of the
changes have been addressing a bug, have been bringing anything
up-to-date. All of these were were done under the banner of some cleanup
crusade, done by people who clearly did not understand the code and did
mechanical changes. Changes that I strongly disapprove of - not because
I like shitty code but because they left matters in a worse state than
they started out with: Less consistent, less robust, less understandable
and slower to boot.
And to get back to my original point (because we're drifting off here),
if you do that my code, I'll just stop caring at some point and give up.
And I think the same is true for you, Tim. And for pretty much anyone
else who takes pride in his or her code.
Remember, my point here is about code ownership. I'm trying to make the
point that the way in which the harvesting process works is broken
because it actively destroys a sense of ownership which we need if we
want people to take responsibility. The chess game is just an example in
this regard, but a good one because it has all the right (e.g., wrong)
things been done to it.
Cheers,
- Andreas
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