From: Ben Bleything <ben@...>
Date: 2009-02-27T10:46:18+09:00
Subject: Re: [ANN] Letter writing campaign to Jim

On Thu, Feb 26, 2009 at 5:26 PM, Aaron Turner <synfinatic@gmail.com> wrote:
> According to the OP it's not broken, it's merely a warning of things
> to come.  Please stop dumping gas on the fire.

From what I understand, that warning has been in place for quite some
time (I think Eric said 2 years?) and RubyGems is anxious to actually
remove what's been deprecated for all this time.  I do freely admit
that broken was the wrong word to use there :)

>> Surely you're not suggesting that rake be forked and released (in
>> username-rake) form instead of being released properly by the
>> project's maintainer...?
>
> No, that would be asinine.

I'm glad we agree!

> I am saying that clearly Jim is aware of the problem (he already
> committed the fix right?) so why the public spectacle/fear-mongering
> that the world is going to end unless Jim acts now?   Based on the OP
> this sounded like a huge coding effort, not something any user could
> fix in 30seconds if it actually bit them.

Did you read the blog post Aaron linked to in his original post
wherein he describes how the work is already done and he's just trying
to give Jim an incentive to release it?  Where's the fear-mongering?

> Basically this hit a pet peeve of mine how lately users of open source
> software seem to becoming more and more demanding of developers.  Do
> this NOW!  What's taking so long?  Hurry up!  Why won't you help me?
> I don't care if you have a life, my project is a priority!

I don't know the details, so Aaron can describe if he wants, but I
believe that this whole thing is sort of gentle ribbing among internet
e-friends.  I'm sorry that you're offended by it... I've met Jim a
number of times and a postcard campaign seems like exactly the kind of
thing he would enjoy.

Regardless, I guess my point is ultimately this: triggering a pet
peeve is not sufficient reason to dump on someone's idea, particularly
when it's not going to impact you in any way.  If you don't want to
participate, don't.  It would have been far more constructive to say
"hey, cut the guy some slack, maintaining projects is hard work" than
to be dismissive.

Ben