Re: [PLUG] observational: user hostility

[Rich Freeman <r-plug@thefreemanclan.net>]

On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 10:08 AM, jeff <jeffv@op.net> wrote:
> I am not blaming GIMP nor promoting anything else.  Just seems that the
> other program was less user-hostile (to the way I do things).  Might just be
> that I'm a graphical nincompoop....

I think the issue with FOSS is often it ends up meeting a niche need,
and then it gets a lot of volunteers from that niche.

If you're making a product for profit, then money is green no matter
where it comes from.  So, you don't mind putting a really happy group
of 50 users to snag another 20 million.

On the other hand, if you are a community-driven project and your
community is the 50 users and half of those are contributors, then you
could probably care less about the 20 million people - you're doing
this for yourself.

Over time these kinds of forces can sometimes lead to solidifying
behavior that to an outsider might seem quirky/etc.

Just look at stuff like vim/emacs command bindings/etc, or
focus-follows-mouse, or as we were talking about in PLUG N last night
just about anything having to do with latex.  Internal consistency
within the project is MUCH more important than consistency with the
expectations of anybody who is brave enough to try these products.
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