NYCPHP Meetup

[Dan Cech]

> Nate Abele wrote:
> 
> "The page described in the original post ('but when I attempted to run 
> it, I get  a "Your database configuration file is not present."') is 
> the welcome page.  It means that he *already* installed Cake, and 
> everything worked correctly (which is kind of redundant, since there  is
> no installation, you just extract the archive to a folder in your 
> docroot).  This welcome page (and subsequent error pages) spells out  in
> painfully explicit detail what needs to happen in order for the 
> situation to be remedied." 

mikesz at qualityadvantages.com wrote:
> Somebody needs to go back to support 101 because the missed the class on
> how to figure out what an end user is and how to provide appropriate
> support for that group as have been alluded to in previous responses.
> 
> One this this end user for sure DOES NOT do is waste my valuable time on
> convoluted nonsense like this explanation has provided. With over twenty
> five years of experience in and around Quality Assurance and Customer
> Support I can categorically state that this is YET ANOTHER case of an
> software engineer  who  has not or can not put himself in the end user 
> position to experience the real world and does not use or test the
> product that he creates as an end user.
> 
> Blaming the victim is not a solution to bad product presentation.

To Mike, and all the other people who feel the need to complain,

GROW UP.  This is FREE, open source software.

Nate and all open source contributors give freely of their time and
expertise to help others.  If you're not happy with what they're giving
you FOR FREE, then you have 2 choices:

1. DON'T USE IT.  No-one is forcing you to use the software, so if you
don't like it then don't use it.

2. HELP OUT.  If you think that the project could be improved, then
knuckle down and get in there.  If you don't have the skills to help
out, there is no better time than now to learn.  If you're
non-technical, donations are welcomed by many projects, just because
open source software is provided to you for free it doesn't mean that it
doesn't cost anything.

You'll note that WHINE ABOUT IT is not one of the options.  It doesn't
do anyone any good, and this kind of feedback just makes those people
who are big hearted enough to actually CONTRIBUTE less likely to
continue doing it.

I am appalled that people would have such a lack of regard for the
efforts of good people like Nate that they feel the need to whine about
the 'level of support' for free software, or complain that it doesn't
work the way they expect, or that it's too hard to understand.

In short, put up or shut up.

Dan