[hobbit] APOLOGY - When is the next hobbit going to be released GRIPE

[Everett, Vernon]

I wrote that entry in the wiki. 
They are my words, not Henrik's, or T.J's. (T.J. merely cut and pasted
it into the wiki on my behalf)
But I am tough, and ignore verbal abuse well, so get angry with me if
you wish, not the list.

Having worked with other open source developers, and been a developer
myself, I realise that most open source work is often thankless, and
takes up a lot time you would otherwise spend doing stuff with the
family, socialising with friends, or generally enjoying yourself.

The question is akin to the kids in the back seat, going "Are we there
yet?" every minute or so on a long trip.
Frustrating, and eventually annoying.

Henrik could give us a date.
Hang on, let me bend over, reach back.....I got one. Pulled it out of my
@r5e, but how about next Friday?
Let's say Henrik does that, and then his real work - the stuff that pays
for the roof over his head - takes up too much of his time, and he
doesn't get to work on Hobbit for a week or two.
Or perhaps his best friend comes to town for a week.

Now what?
Do we get what he's got, and have to live with crap like the big
corporates do to us, or does he say, "Sorry guys, maybe next week."
Lots of bugs, or too many of those "maybe next week" lines, and user
confidence starts eroding.

I believe the wiki entry should stay.
We will get there, when we get there.
Under the circumstances, I believe Henrik is doing an excellent job, and
has produced a truly fine product.
We are all eagerly (and sometimes impatiently) waiting for the next
version but I would hate to see the quality slip for the sake of meeting
an arbitrary deadline.
And I am sure most would agree with me there.

Remember the IT mantra.
Cheap, Good, Fast. Pick any two.

Let me also commend Robert.
You were big enough to apologise in an open forum. 
I have seen too many forums choke on their own bile, for lack of a
simple apology.
Apology accepted. I apologise if the entry was not interpreted in the
spirit in which it was written. 
I believe the entry should stay, but I am open to an improvement in the
wording.
Any offers?

I would love to see a delivery date as much as the next guy, but with
FOSS developers working in their spare time, it's just not possible.

Regards
    Vernon

P.S. The question was one of 33 FAQ entries I created based on questions
asked and answered on the list during November 2007.
If anybody is interested in doing the same for any other month, let me
know.




-----Original Message-----
From: McGraw, Robert P [mailto:rmcgraw at purdue.edu] 
Sent: Wednesday, 13 February 2008 1:33 AM
To: hobbit at hswn.dk
Subject: [hobbit] APOLOGY - When is the next hobbit going to be released
GRIPE


I apologize for vetting my frustration to the group. This was not very
professional and basically I was doing what I was protesting.

My comment on the wiki FAQ was in no way meant to degrade the effort and
quality work that went into this.

Again I apologize. I have to learn to count to 10 before typing.

Robert

_____________________________________________________________________
Robert P. McGraw, Jr.
Manager, Computer System                    EMAIL: rmcgraw at purdue.edu
Purdue University                            ROOM: MATH-807
Department of Mathematics                   PHONE: (765) 494-6055
150 N. University Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2067


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