About insulting developers (Was: Re: [Vm-dev] VM Maker: CMakeVMMaker-StasenkoIgor.104.mcz)

[Ron Teitelbaum]

Hi Igor,

I certainly understand where you are coming from.  Criticism is very important.  Constructive comments in the code make sense even if they are a bit critical of the original implementation or instructive about why your change is better. 

Comments like MultiByteCrapStream is ignorant, and it really makes you look childish.  It reflects badly on you.  Andreas is right, it would also get you fired.  Please feel free to write: "this is badly broken, I wasted a hole day trying to fix it"  or some other warning to others that might step in the same mess you stepped in but please do it in a professional way that reflects well on you, the community, the original author and the people that will read your official comment.

Respectfully yours,

Ron Teitelbaum
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: vm-dev-bounces at lists.squeakfoundation.org [mailto:vm-dev-
> bounces at lists.squeakfoundation.org] On Behalf Of Igor Stasenko
> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2011 4:30 AM
> To: Squeak Virtual Machine Development Discussion
> Subject: About insulting developers (Was: Re: [Vm-dev] VM Maker:
> CMakeVMMaker-StasenkoIgor.104.mcz)
> 
> 
> On 17 May 2011 10:00, Andreas Raab <andreas.raab at gmx.de> wrote:
> >
> > On 5/17/2011 9:27, Igor Stasenko wrote:
> >>
> >> On 16 May 2011 17:16, Andreas Raab<andreas.raab at gmx.de>  wrote:
> >>>
> >>> On 5/16/2011 12:34, squeak-dev-noreply at lists.squeakfoundation.org
> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> Igor Stasenko uploaded a new version of CMakeVMMaker to project
> VM
> >>>> Maker:
> >>>> http://www.squeaksource.com/VMMaker/CMakeVMMaker-
> StasenkoIgor.104.m
> >>>> cz
> >>>>
> >>>> ==================== Summary ====================
> >>>>
> >>>> Name: CMakeVMMaker-StasenkoIgor.104
> >>>> Author: StasenkoIgor
> >>>> Time: 16 May 2011, 10:33:56 am
> >>>> UUID: 68959e6f-18b1-304c-a3de-2b84a1f2c93b
> >>>> Ancestors: CMakeVMMaker-IgorStasenko.103
> >>>>
> >>>> workaround the MultiByteCrapStream, which converting line endings
> >>>> twice on windows.
> >>>>
> >>> Do us all a favor and leave out these derogatory comments. They are
> >>> *not* helpful.
> >>>
> >> :)
> >> Well, i can't resist putting it like that, because i lost like 1 hour
> >> trying to understand why it was broken again.
> >
> > I understand what you mean but the thing you need to learn is that
> > there's a big difference between a muttered curse and a public
> > comment. A check-in comment that is being reposted in archived mailing
> > lists is something that people read. Treating your fellow developers
> > without respect is a great way of ensuring difficult relationships in
> > the future. Nobody likes being called names, or derogatory comments
> about their code, not you, not me, not anyone.
> > There is no reason to call MultiByteFileStream MultiByteCrapStream
> > other than an intentional insult to the original author(s). Insulting
> > people in a public forum is a great way to destroy relationships. Just ask
> your boss.
> >
> 
> I disagree.
> I do respect the people's energy which they spent implementing all this stuff,
> because apparently i'm using it every day and it works (most of the times ;).
> 
> Such strong wording was to point on problem & amount of pain i had with it,
> but again, nothing to do with my attitude towards author(s) who
> implemented it.
> I separating these things and i hope others too.
> 
> It was i, who were insulted, offended and lost time dealing with this code. So
> why i can't express myself appropriately to situation? :)
> 
> Because i tend to say and hear truth about the quality of code (including my
> own , of course).
> Seriously, why we should fear to offend someone by calling a crap what is
> crap?
> 
> If next day, someone would call my code crap, my first reaction will be to ask
> - why, where and how to improve that. But not to put that person in black
> list.
> Because i value criticism. It helps you to get higher, above your own limits :)
> 
> --
> Best regards,
> Igor Stasenko AKA sig.