[mythtv-users] cutlist editor feedback (was Re: cutlist editing hangs frontend)

[Craig Sanders]

On Tue, Nov 16, 2010 at 05:09:27PM -0800, Gavin Hurlbut wrote:
> On Tue, Nov 16, 2010 at 4:45 PM, Craig Sanders <cas at taz.net.au> wrote:
> >  Diatribe \Di"a*tribe\ (?; 277), n. [L. diatriba a learned
> >     discussion, Gr. ?, prop., a wearing away of time, fr. ? to
> >     rub away, spend time; dia` through + ? to rub: cf. L. terere,
> >     F. trite: cf. F. diatribe.]
> >     A prolonged or exhaustive discussion; especially, an
> >     acrimonious or invective harangue; a strain of abusive or
> >     railing language; a philippic.
> >     [1913 Webster]
> 
> "A prolonged or exhaustive discussion"...  precisely.  Spot on.

and once again, you selectively focus on just the part that *appears* to
support your argument while completely ignoring the part that disproves
it.

like "especially, an acrimonious or invective harangue; a strain of
abusive or railing language"

acrimonious.  invective.  abusive.  railing.  philippic.

a diatribe is specifically acrimonious and/or abusive. it's not just a
long speech.



> > at least one person read it and understood what i was saying.
> 
> Yawn.  I'll get back to doing something more productive... Like
> actually working on the code instead of randomly whining because it
> doesn't meet my expectations.  That *is* how Open Source works, you
> know.

it's PART of how open source works. another part is that users
contribute as and how they are able to by, for example, reporting bugs,
providing feedback, writing documentation, providing support on the
lists, and so on. stuff that doesn't necessarily require expertise with
C++, Qt libs, and a lot of experience working directly with the details
of the mythtv code.   all of which has immediate benefits and also
servers as practice and training for new developers.

dismissing such feedback as a diatribe or as whining undermines that
open process. it makes for a closed club where only those who are
already part of the inner circle are able to do or say anything.



> If you are capable of coding, I suggest you start making patches

right.  now you're onto the arrogantly dismissive "only those who
contribute patches are entitled to report bugs".

if that actually worked, then there wouldn't be any bugs to report
because the magical coders would spot them all before release without
needing any extra eyes to point out things that they fail to see because
they're too close to the code, because they've been working with it for
months and have internalised the changes & bugs so don't notice them.

fresh eyes can see what jaded eyes can gloss over. that's one of the
benefits of open source development and an open communication process.

> rather than railing against everyone else and alienating those who are

there's that word "railing" again.  part of the definition of diatribe.

$ dict railing
  Railing \Rail"ing\, a.
     Expressing reproach; insulting.
     [1913 Webster]

you keep on trying to characterise my feedback as abusive and insulting.
which, as i've said, is what always happens on this list whenever
someone fails to grovel. well, i'm refusing to let you get away with
mischaracterising what i wrote in that way.

i'm not reproaching or insulting anyone. i'm pointing out a bug and
providing feedback on the new editor.

if i'm railing against anything, it's not the code. it's the
hypersensitive and defensive attitude towards feedback...and that's only
because my feedback, like all other non-grovelling feedback on this
list, has been attacked and dismissed as an abusive diatribe.



> doing the coding.  Doing things your way (so far) makes the good
> points you may have in your arguments get summarily ignored as we have
> better things to do with our *spare* time than deal with people who
> seem to think that swinging a broadsword around themselves is a good
> way to give "constructive" criticism.

yes, you've got that excuse for ignoring feedback honed to a fine art.

to summarise it, it's "you failed to grovel so we're going to pretend what
you wrote was just insulting abuse and ignore it".

craig

-- 
craig sanders <cas at taz.net.au>