Rockbox General > Rockbox General Discussion
The worst thing about rockbox
Llorean:
He's offered no useful solutions. "People learn differently" does not offer a solution for how to assist these people. He mentioned tutorial videos briefly, but he's neither offered to make them nor pay for the cameras and players for one person so that he or she could make them all in the same style. He's objected to the manual, but offered no other way to ensure that accurate information gets posted as text.
He refuses to volunteer, which means he's probably not familiar enough with how all this works to realize you don't fix a volunteer community by shouting "you're doing it wrong" from the sidelines, but rather by joining it and directing it.
It's interesting though. I offered to let him in and help us change, and his response is "no, I don't want to" pretty clearly showing he doesn't want to see the community improve - just stay as it is so he has something to whine about.
I can't tell if he's well intentioned but clueless about the realities of the actual situation or just someone trolling. Either way he adds no value to the community since he offers neither solutions nor any actual effort on his part, just a repeated statement of "I disagree with what you're doing."
The funny thing is, what we're doing actually works for something like more than 99.95% of people who've posted here, which I'd say is a rather solid success rate for free service.
Shiftlock:
I'm also a new Rockbox user, and I've only browsed this forum a couple of times. When I read this thread, I was overwhelmingly compelled to register and post.
--- Quote from: evanthepanther on March 04, 2010, 01:13:48 AM ---honestly the worst thing I've found about rockbox is the lack of help
--- End quote ---
Really? If anything, I found there's so much help in the way of documentation that it was almost too much. It took me a couple of weeks to read through the manual alone. I had a few problems, but I was able to find the solutions.
--- Quote from: evanthepanther ---instead of being told an answer, i get pointed to where to find an answer
--- End quote ---
I actually can't believe you said this. Are you serious? This is exactly the way it should be done, and it's the way it's done on every forum related to anything that I've ever been a member of in my 21 years of using the internet. If someone has already spent the time to document the answer elsewhere, why should it be repeated to you in the forum? Have you ever heard the acronym RTFM? There's a reason why it exists (both the acronym and the manual).
--- Quote from: evanthepanther ---I've read, and I've searched for the question, and had turned up nothing.
--- End quote ---
If the answer doesn't exist elsewhere, then what are you being pointed to? There's flawed logic here.
--- Quote from: evanthepanther ---I have 4 themes I would like to submit, but I'm not sure if I want to because I got some weird error when I tried to submit them, and I don't dare ask about it on the forums.
--- End quote ---
What are you afraid of? Someone not giving you the solution, or someone not giving it to you in the manner that you think they should? Do you know how that sounds?
Nobody is obligated to answer your questions at all. Everything related to Rockbox is provided free of charge. I can't imagine how many hundreds of man-hours have gone into making Rockbox and everything that goes along with it, including these forums and all the documentation. What right does anyone have to complain about anything at all?
Evanthepanther, I honestly believe that either you're trolling and just looking to rile people up, or you have a really warped sense that the world owes you something. I'm not saying that to anger you or to argue. I just think your outlook at this entire situation is about as backward and upside down as it could possibly be. I'm impressed with the restraint that everyone has used with regard to your opinions. For all the time and effort they donate to this project, to have a new Rockbox user come on here and complain that they're not getting their questions answered properly because they don't want to be directed toward the documentation is just... wow... ungrateful is a huge understatement!
bluebrother:
You have two major flaws in your approach here.
--- Quote from: matt0001 on March 07, 2010, 08:23:54 PM ---As I said in my one other post in this forum, I am a reference librarian. Basically, answering stupid questions is my job.
--- End quote ---
First: You can't expect anyone to have such a job, nor want or to be suited for such a job. If you feel a need for more people like you why don't you jump in and help out? Nagging around because the people who actually do work don't do it the way you think is better is not helpful at all and won't change a thing.
--- Quote ---But your reliance on your holy manual
--- End quote ---
There is no holy manual.
--- Quote ---Some learn better from tutorial videos, some need some extra attention and patience to have their questions answered in a way that is helpful to them.
--- End quote ---
fine, so go and contribute some. Have you asked yourself how much got contributed in that area?
--- Quote ---You guys really need to learn and understand this.
--- End quote ---
No, and that is the second big problem on your part here. You guys need to learn why people are working on Rockbox. And that is really simple and nothing special for open source software.
The software is made by developers because they have fun doing it. It is not made because of users. There is no product. You really need to learn this. Period. If you don't manage this you will have problems with almost all open source projects. Accept this, there's no way around it.
(besides, is the support of commercial software products that much better at all? Software you have paid for? Comparing with unrelated stuff like libraries is not valid here).
--- Quote ---I'll check back in again in another 18 months.
--- End quote ---
I (and I bet most devs) don't consider this a loss at all.
Shiftlock:
--- Quote from: matt0001 on March 07, 2010, 08:23:54 PM ---How perfect. I first tried rockbox about 18 months ago. While I was moderately impressed with the software, I was thoroughly turned off by the attitude on this forum. After a few months, I uninstalled rockbox and never looked back.
--- End quote ---
That can't be true. You dumped the free software that you were impressed with because the free help wasn't good enough for you? Who is that hurting except yourself?
--- Quote from: matt0001 ---But your reliance on your holy manual is totally not the way to go. Everyone learns and solves problems differently. Some (very few) can actually get through your holy manual and have all their questions answered. Some learn better from tutorial videos, some need some extra attention and patience to have their questions answered in a way that is helpful to them. You guys really need to learn and understand this.
--- End quote ---
So, your demanding that people you don't know, who don't get paid, produce a bunch of additional free tutorials in a variety of formats so that people who don't pay anything can learn to use the free software in the way that suits them best? For what purpose would they do this? If you can't figure out how to use the software the way it's GIVEN to you, then stick with the OEM firmware. Why do you think it's even remotely acceptable to tell people who are giving you a free product what they "need to learn and understand"? They aren't obligated to do any of this, and they certainly don't have to give "attention and patience" to people who can't figure out the software the way it's offered.
--- Quote from: matt0001 ---If there is any reason why rockbox has not been adopted by more people, it is the lack of support and rude attitudes on this forum. By being this way you keep your user-size very small.
--- End quote ---
This isn't true at all, but even if it was, so what? If people choose not to use Rockbox, that's their loss. It's there for you if you want it. It is what it is. Take it or leave it. Nobody loses anything by having a small user-base. This isn't a profitable venture for anyone.
--- Quote from: matt0001 ---I'll check back in again in another 18 months.
--- End quote ---
Suit yourself... Your loss. If I were you, I wouldn't bother, because you don't seem to understand how community-developed software works. I'm a brand new Rockbox user, and I would never take the attitude you have. It's downright rude to the people who have donated their time and skill to create something that they are giving away free for anyone to use! You're kicking a gift-horse in the mouth.
gevaerts:
--- Quote from: matt0001 on March 07, 2010, 08:23:54 PM ---Basically, answering stupid questions is my job.
--- End quote ---
It's not ours.
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