[MPlayer-users] firewalls needed :)

[Gordan Bobic]

On Wednesday 19 Dec 2001 04:16, you wrote:
> [Automatic answer: RTFM (read DOCS, FAQ), also read DOCS/bugreports.html]

> You know what else? There's always gonna be the user who doesn't read
> them, or "get" them. You can't get around it. You and I got mplayer up
> and running with the docs; does that mean that everyone must then be at
> least as savvy as you and I, else they can just go away?

Yes, that's pretty much it. If they cannot read, they shouldn't be using a 
computer. If they don't understand what the docs say, then they can paste the 
part they don't understand, and ask for clarification on the list. I'm not 
going to go as far as suggesting that they should (shock-horror) submit a 
documentation patch with a clearer explanation...

> > In my university days (here in "western" new zealand), if the lecturer
> > had carefully explained something, and written it down in handouts, and
> > then a bunch of students who have been skiping class and come up to his
> > office and keep asking questions that he has already explained, then he
> > will say "Read the lecture handouts, read the textbook, and then if you
> > still don't understand, then you can come back and ask for help"
>
> First, this ain't "university", this is the real world. A bad attitude
> only brings on bad attitudes (that won't be forgotten easily), not bad
> grades. Second, show me the last post from an MPlayer developer who came
> close to phrasing his reply as nicely as you paraphrased your professor's.
> They're rare.

My only suggestion and agreement with what you said is the automatic reply 
from the mailbot. I think it should be changed to something more polite such 
as:

"Please read the documentation before posting to this list. Developers will 
NOT answer questions that are already answered in the documentation."

What do the rest of you guys think?

> Were my projects to get the amount of questions MPlayer gets, especially
> with the docs, I might ask myself if they couldn't be better organised?

This is only a subjective opinion, but I had no problem getting MPlayer 
working perfectly, with just the documentation it comes with.

> I see where the team is looking for sponsers. I'll be surprised if they
> get any serious offers with an attitude like that which Gabucino so
> richly demonstrated in his reply to me.

I have to disagree here. It depends on what they need MPlayer for. Note that 
"sponsors" here is not equal to "users". Not in any way. If somebody wants to 
add MPlayer to their UNIX distribution, then they will want it for the 
quality of the product itself.

Similarly, if someone wants to use MPlayer as a tool for a project of some 
sort, they will do it because of quality of the product.

It is those kinds of people or companies that are likely to make investments 
into the project, probably to get ports of features added in return. 
Typically, it is the distributors that will then take the quality product, 
wrap it in a nice namby-pamby hold-the-user-by-the-hand package and give it 
to end users.

> A'rpi wants "damage control"?  No matter what forces he musters to try
> to clean up the developer's and/or MPlayer's image, it won't amount to
> beans if the mailing lists' responses continue to be inflammatory.

You have half a point here. I would suggest here that the developers do not 
answer questions that are answered in the docs at all. No answer is a 
possible improvement to flaming. Although the right of flaming should be 
deserved for the people who persistently ask questions without reading the 
manual.

> I've been maintaining software on the 'net for six years now, and just
> started another project. I have and likely always will get questions
> about stuff that is clearly documented. I have never flamed the user,
> nor would I. The software is for them, right? Why would anyone insult
> his client or customer?

I think that the answer to questions with documented answers should be at 
most a link to the correct page in the documentation. Otherwise, what is the 
point in having a manual?

> And who said anything about Microsoft, anyway?

:-X

Regards.

Gordan