[mythtv-users] Feature request. MythVideo folder browser.

[Phillip Wiggin]

Why don't you just take a step back and take a pill?  How, precisely, does
"we might add it" mean "we're sitting around waiting on requests"?  To me,
it sounds like "if we have spare time and find your problem interesting,
we might look at it".  Scratch your own damned itches, and assuming not
all the MythTV developers are as cranky as you, maybe (I say MAYBE)
someone else will look at feature requests and find something that
interests them.

I apologize to the rest of the readers of this list, but I'm quite tired
of the snide, snotty, "my time is too important to deal with you people"
attitudes of some of the developers (I said "some", not "all".)

Dan, at _no_ point did I say _anything_ about _any_ of the developers
"chomoping at the bit waiting for people to demand more of their time".
These people aren't "demanding", they're "asking".

Huzzah for lanugage support!  It's _fantastic_ that someone decided to
implement something on their own!  I'm all in favor of it.  The person who
implemented it did a wonderful thing by contributing.  However, not all
people have the ability to code their desires.

As to the supposition that users shouldn't show interest in the wider
acceptance of a project (by way of feature requests) unless they pay for
it... I'm at a loss; I truely am.  What's the problem with someone saying
"It sure would be nice if..."?

I'll tell you what _I_ think the problem is (and this could be way off
base).  I think the problem is your bad attitude.  You think that everyone
that has an idea for Myth is out to steal _your_ time from you.  If you'd
stop to think about it, you might realize that these people have _no_
power over you.  If you don't want to implement someone's ideaa, then
don't!  But, what good does it do to discourage user suggestions?  You
make the users feel like none of the developers cares one whit whether
anyone uses this software.. Maybe that's the case. Maybe all the
developers are just like you and don't care at all what users want.  Maybe
they (the developers) want a "good 'ole boy's club" piece of software
that's only used by the 8 or 9 devs.  Hell, I don't know.  But you're sure
doing a good job of making _me_ think I've no nead of being subscribed to
the users list.  If the OPs opinion isn't wanted, why would mine be?  If
my opinions aren't even of _interest_ to the developers, obviously the
software wasn't meant for me.

There are alternatives to MythTV.  I hope you learn to value your users
before they start abandoning Myth in favor of the other projects that just
_might_ be a little more welcoming to ideas. (No, not demands...
I-D-E-A-S)

I realize this seems a bit confrontational, but you seem to have
misconceptions about the non-devs.  They're not your boss, project
manager, or even customer.  They're the people that see your work and
value it, and they'd like to see it even better so that it becomes even
_more_ popular and useful.

Dan, I really hope you get a reality check and realize we (the users)
really do appreciate your work and are on your side.  We (the users) would
like to see other things integrated, but we (the users) understand that
our suggestions aren't high on your priority list (if even on your list at
all... apparently they're not on _your_ list).  We (the users) accept the
fact that you (the devs) won't code on things you don't find interesting
or useful to you, we (the users) don't _expect_ you to.  We (the potential
devs) (I'd been giving some thoughts to contributing code myself, before
all this nastyness started.) can see your opinions and how you're regarded
by them (the users).  Frankly, I'm not sure I want to be put in the same
sentance with you.... I'm not speaking for other potential developers, but
I'd just as soon not have users look at my name derisively because they
assume that I have the same goals and ideals (relating to the project) as
you.

Frankly, here's what I got from your post:

First:
"I'm a whiner that reads things that aren't there into other peoples posts."
-- for the record, at no point did I say anything about the developers
action or inaction. I suggested a dev "might" look at it, that's all.

Next:
"At one point, one person didn't get pissed when Issac said 'submit a
pacth', and it worked out well."
-- Fantastic. How many opportunities for improvement have been passed up
because the user couldn't do it, or the potential dev got pissed because
of the abrasive responses to requests?

And finally:
"You didn't pay for MythTV, so shut your pie hole."
-- That's a lovely sentiment. And the kicker is, I probably _would_ have
payed for MythTV.  However, I doubt that if I'd have payed for the
software that you, specifically, would care any more than you do now.  I
suspect I'd still get the same "You got what you paid for, shut your pie
hole." ... I could be wrong... I have been before.

Again, I apologize to the user base for this long, drawnout rant.  I just
get testy at replies like Dan's.

--Phill W.

P.S. Oh, and Dan... I doubt I'll bother to reply back if you respond to
this, so don't take my lack of a reply as conceding to your "point(?)".

> Phill Wiggin wrote:
>>  C'mon. It's a Feature Request, not a Feature Demand. Why get all ...
>> indignant (?) ... when someone points out something that might make
>> the project more usable? Why not just say, "If enough people need
>> this, we might add it in the future. In the mean time, you might try
> The problem is the "we".  You presume that the developers and
> contributors on the project just sit around and wait for people to
> submit ideas.  They don't.  If the developers and contributors on the
> project have an itch, they scratch it.
>
> 1,000 people could request this feature, and I don't honestly see Isaac,
>  Thor, Bruce, Matt, J Donavan, Chris, Kirby, Myself, or any of the other
>  regular contributors chomping at the bit waiting for people to demand
> more of their time.  The developers and contributors have an idea for
> something they'd like to see mythtv do,  and they implement it.  Take
> for example the language support, if I recall the thread way back when
> correctly; someone said they want to see the text translated into abc
> language.  Isaac said something to the effect of, then impliment it and
> send in a patch.  This person did, and the rest is history.
>
> If MythTV was a commercial product, there would be no problem with
> asking the developers, (whom you are paying by way of buying a license
> to the product) to impliment xyz feature.  But the fact is, MythTV is a
> free, open source project.  If their is a preticular feature you want,
> impliment it.
>
> -dan
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