[asterisk-dev] grains of sand

[Griepentrog Scott]

> -----Original Message-----
> Do you really think someone asking about a windows port of a 
> unix app on
> the wrong projects mailing list is ever going to "get it" 
> enough to be a
> developer. And I mean developer in the sense of actually contributing
> code or even truely insightful thoughts on how the code should be put
> together? 
> -- 
> critch <critch at basesys.com>

      Yes.   I do.

It has happened before.  Granted, it's not as probable as that they're just going to go away, dunk their rear in a body of water, and try again to get help from some other group that isn't as hot... but it's not entirely impossible, and from personal experience I have seen it happen, and was one of those newb's once myself (and have the burn marks to prove it).

How else does one get educated except by getting redirected by those who know.  The difficulty is that the same _open_ channel that is used to convey critical knowledge about the inner workings of the open source project is also the same one that any newb (and there is like a 1k:1 newb/dev ratio)  can drop in on and interrupt with some lame question too easily.  You want the channel to be open so that some of the plethora of lurkers getting educated might someday become coders and contribute to the project - but with that you *must* take the small irritants (insert grain of sand in oyster analogy here) with patience and kindness (egads!).  Either turn them (gently!) to your way of thinking, or educate them to go elsewhere (with respect for them as a human being who had enough of a brain to figure out how to get on the internet and use email - which is something of a challenge for some of the human race).

Ultimately, it's an attitude thing.

For a much further in-depth analysis from experts in the field of F/OSS project management, I refer you to these well educated and much experienced gentlemen who have had their presentation recorded by Google earlier this year for their prosperity and ours: 

How Open Source Projects Survive Poisonous People (And You Can Too)
 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4216011961522818645

Please take the time to listen to the entire presentation and consider adopting their recommendations for this list.  Ya'll could benefit from it.

May I further suggest that this be the last word on the subject.