Behavior makes me cry

[Peter Spotts]

On Thu, 2008-03-06 at 08:57 -0800, Evan Platt wrote:
> At 01:11 AM 3/6/2008, Marek Matulka wrote:
> >On 05/03/2008, Evan Platt <evan at espphotography.com> wrote:
> > >  You get more flies with honey, or something like that. These people
> > >  threatening to ditch Pidgin if this change isn't fixed is just
> > >  amusing. You aren't costing the developers any money, but like I
> > >  said, you're entiteled to a 100% refund should you decide to 
> > uninstall Pidgin.
> >
> >I see your point - no one is paying for it so developers shouldn't
> >care about users.
> 
> No, don't put words in my mouth. That is NOT what I said. What I 
> said, to sum it up, is if you want something changed, for something 
> you aren't paying for, ASK NICELY. Since you said you wrote software, 
> put yourself in the developers shoes. And yes, I realize you weren't 
> one of the people who said this, but which are you more likely to 
> listen to and act on:
> A: "Fix it. It's a stupid change, I don't like it. If it's not fixed, 
> I'm dropping your software and going elsewhere."
> B: "Hey thanks for the update, but there's a new feature I don't 
> like. For the meantime, I'll go back to the previous version. Please 
> consider changing this back to how it was, and let me know if you do."
> 
> >I used to be a core developer for freely available
> >software (while ago) and I know it works. I have never said to the
> >user "if you don't like my software, uninstall it".
> 
> While I don't believe the developers of Pidgin have said that, 
> there's cases where you do. Certainly when you aren't making a dime 
> from a customer, it's much easier to say "Please, just uninstall our 
> software." And even with paying customers, there's a time when you 
> don't want them as customers. When they take much too much time and 
> you end up spending more money supporting them than you make from 
> them. Just ask - who was it, Sprint?
> 
> >And if you have read my replies you should know then I don't want to
> >uninstall Gailm - I really like it. I just don't like the new way it
> >plays with input box - and that's why I would like to have it as an
> >option. I understand why it was introduced, I have read carefully all
> >points, why developers prefers a new behaviour and in most of cases I
> >agree with them.
> 
> You're preaching to the choir. Yes, I've read your replies. Yes I 
> understand you want it changed. I'm not a developer, just a user. But 
> again, it's open source. And I think someone posted their suggestion 
> on a fix for it yesterday.
> 
> 
> 
> >But still I would like to see the new behaviour as an _option_. Do you get it?
> 
> Yep, but again, I'm just a user like you. 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Support mailing list
> Support at pidgin.im
> http://pidgin.im/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/support

Like Evan, I too am a user. And yesterday, folks kindly posted a
workaround. A small change to one small section of one source file that
does the trick for now. I tried it; it works. And I haven't done any
"programming" since using Basic on a Radio Shack "trash 80" in 1980 to
put together a checkbook-balancing program. So, while the change
currently is not an option in the "pull-down menu" or "hand-edit rc
file" sense, it *is* an option with the posting of the workaround. It
certainly should meet the need -- at least on an interim basis -- for
deeper input fields. I'm no gambler. But if I were, I would be willing
to bet that in the time it's taken to hash and rehash these points over
the past 24 hours, one could have invited said girlfriend to dinner or
coffee, downloaded the source files, altered the file in question,
compiled and installed Pidgin several times over. And really, in the
end, which of these two paths -- this thread or a dinner with my lady --
would be more enjoyable or fulfilling?? It's clear from other posts that
the developers have heard the plea from a variety of voices. So let's
make the minor mod to what we have, and wait to see what happens in
Pidgin 2.4.1. 

With best regards (really!),

Pete
-- 
Peter N. Spotts | Science reporter
The Christian Science Monitor
One Norway Street, Boston, MA 02115 USA
Office: 617-450-2449 | Office-in-home: 508-520-3139
Email: pspotts at alum.mit.edu | Amateur-radio call: KC1JB
www.csmonitor.com | www.peterspotts.net

"The knack of flying is to throw yourself at the ground and miss." 
            -- Douglas Adams, "A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"