From: David Vallner <david@...>
Date: 2006-10-25T12:34:37+09:00
Subject: Re: How can my boss take rails seriously with bugs like this?

--------------enig5FC7C26D0EF3DA948AE9F296
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Paul Irofti wrote:
> If something is broken fix it! It's an OpenSource project built upon an=
=20
> OpenSource programming language...
>=20

Rails is from the user's POV a tool. If a screwdriver has a loose
handle, buying a different brand is as valid an approach as trying to
stabilise it...

Users do have the right to object against the low quality of something
even if it's free. (Granted, in a less whiny tone, and using official
ways like the bug tracker for specific bugs.) Just because the barrier
to contribution is lowered from one side, it doesn't mean it
automagically as lowered from the other - even people unskilled in
developing web frameworks or that just don't have time to spare to
develop it should receive a product that, well, works.

The "fix it yourself" attitude I perceive as actively harmful to
open-source software as a whole - it creates an image of getting away
with half-done jobs, lack of concern for the end user, and general
tending to mediocrity. I personally much prefer working with
high-quality tools (open-source or otherwise, I've seen neither model
prove as a magic bullet - big surprise there), more so since
specifically Rails is far from a free lunch, considering it -started
out- as parts of commercial 37signals services before going open-source
(no idea how much of the development is done by paid employees of that
company anymore). The latter is actually a comforting fact, since they
do indeed eat their own dogfood and are interested in keeping Rails
maintained for other purposes than open-source karma points.

David Vallner


--------------enig5FC7C26D0EF3DA948AE9F296
Content-Type: application/pgp-signature; name="signature.asc"
Content-Description: OpenPGP digital signature
Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="signature.asc"

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.5 (MingW32)

iD8DBQFFPttKy6MhrS8astoRApkvAJ498irNtP5d1jom2ABjwvKOHw+pBwCbBHaf
pYE7SsAW19KdVqJYsJ/5yvE=
=iTxa
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

--------------enig5FC7C26D0EF3DA948AE9F296--