[OpenLayers-Users] Intuitive and good looking icons

[Arnd Wippermann]

Hi Christopher,
 
to use Mikas word
"Don't you dare. 95 % of your answers is pure help and the rest.. yep I
would say that the rest is enjoyable reading."
 
Your responses are sometimes very to a point, but I would miss this ones.
And naturally would miss the responses, that enhance my knowledge of
OpenLayers.
 
I like the OpenLayers API and i'm again and again impressed, what is
possible. I have also own ideas how to use the API (could be seen in online
applications). I'm able to modify OpenLayers functions and overwrite the
originals for my purposes.
 
But I don't understand enough of object orientated javascript (especially
the OpenLayers API), to contribute ideas, examples, documentations or
patches to the list. So what I do, is following the discussion here and
sometimes on the developer list, to learn more about OpenLayers. And if
possible, response to questions I mean I have an answer.
 
Arnd Wippermann
 
  _____  

Von: users-bounces at openlayers.org [mailto:users-bounces at openlayers.org] Im
Auftrag von Mika Lehtonen
Gesendet: Dienstag, 24. Februar 2009 22:10
An: Christopher Schmidt
Cc: users at openlayers.org
Betreff: Re: [OpenLayers-Users] Intuitive and good looking icons




Christopher Schmidt kirjoitti: 

On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 10:17:56PM +0200, Mika Lehtonen wrote:

  

Christopher Schmidt kirjoitti:

    

attitude is everything when communicating with

    a mailing list

      

Shouldn't that also concern developers?

    



Absolutely; and developers like me who are rude end up paying for it.  



  

I am asking this because I've been noticing that in OL-users list there 

are time to time so hostile responses to the users ideas that for 

example I haven't ever experienced such in the Geoserver users list. 

    



Is this thread an example? Do you have other examples? (Are they all me?

In which case, that's fair, and I should probably just get off the users

list.) 

  

I don't like digging old dirt. This was just a feeling based thought.


  

I think that all the users throwing ideas in the list are just trying

to make things better, not to question developers competence or

ability to do their work. 

    



I think that many users of OpenLayers consider it to be the

responsibility of someone else to fix their problems. I think that's a

silly expectation, and I don't feel that it's neccesary to entertain all

ideas that come -- since for every idea that comes with code behind it,

10 more come in as "Wouldn't it be nice if?"



There are many things that would be nice, but given that a huge majority

of OpenLayers development is done by a very small core of developers,

with limited contribution from people who wish that things would somehow

magically get better, the social environment degrades. This thread is an

example of that, in my opinion.

http://openlayers.org/pipermail/users/2009-February/010300.html is

another case where I blew up.



In fact, reviewing the OL-users list, I see that I respond an order of

magnitude more times than all other trunk OL developers combined. If

there is a feeling that developers are being rude to users, then that

can only be coming from my behavior.  I think that's a sign that I

shouldn't be on the users mailing list anymore. Thank you for pointing

that out to me; from here foreward, I will shy away from responding the

users list.

  

Don't you dare. 95 % of your answers is pure help and the rest.. yep I would
say that the rest is enjoyable reading.


  

Yeah, it easily happens that you come up with a superb idea and share

it in the list without thinking how to put it in there or

reconsidering how superb it really is. But one shouldn't take it as an

insult or yelling. In my opinion, everyone should have one vote,

regardless of whether you are a developer or an user, to vote for

things and features you like. After all, it isn't just developers who

are making open source (software) possible.

    



It is my belief that everyone who is contributing code should

absolutely get one vote.

I disagree. You know I like metaphoras. I think that open source software
development is like motor racing. Developers are engineers who build the
chassis and suspension and motor and tune them up as good as they can. Users
are those arragant drivers who come and test the car and after that tell
what they think it could be done better. Some of them just say: this is too
slow, others may have an idea of getting more revs out of the engine. But
most of them have no idea how to implement these improvements. They come and
go. But engineers stay all night and build  new engines. Some times they get
bitter of hearing nothing but complaining. But deep in their hearts they
enjoy the excitement and the joy of success of what they are doing. Either
of these groups wouldn't exists without another. No real progress is made
without feed back. Criticism is a good concept, if you take it that way.
Sarcasm sucks.

- mika -


  



Regards,

  

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