Re: To the Armchair Directors

Mark Linimon <linimon_at_lonesome.com> writes:

[snip]

> So, that's the end of my philosophical rant.

Your "rant" contained many good points that most users already know
and have in mind when posting here.  (And I could expand on them to
explain why I've pretty-much stopped even bothering developers with
what they claim to want, here and in the PR database.  But I won't
bother; you've probably already seen that from others too. :)  Your
rant probably helped educate a few more users about proper behavior
around developers.

[re-ordered:]
> Having said all that, let's consider the original point that
> Peter was trying to address.

Yes, let's.

To paraphrase: Users should not bother developers with comments on
FreeBSD development. Users don't deserve to be heard and developers
don't need the comments anyway.  Users who violate this rule should be
given a good flaming about pissing off programmers and making unworthy
demands and with a patronizing analogy about diners and chefs.

I'm sure we all got HIS point, but you seem to have missed MY points
-- that this is a piss-poor way to deal with users and the situation
should (sic) be improved in several ways: First, users should be
expected to want to voice their opinions about FreeBSD development and
should be given a FreeBSD forum in which to do so.  (I've seen this
same situation even on chat_at_.)  Second, if freebsd-current isn't the
forum, the list's documentation should say so in a polite but clear
manner, so that violators of the rule could be told to read it and
developers wouldn't need to be bothered to craft long custom flames
which probably do more harm than good.  Third, developers should (sic)
not flame users for trying to help, even if they are no help; it does
more harm than good.  The non-help should just be ignored or a polite
reference to the list docs should be sent to the offender (only).