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From: Gene Heskett <gheskett@wdtv.com>
To: python-list@python.org
Subject: Re: You must register a new account to report a bug (was: Python 2 to 3 conversion - embrace the pain)
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2015 07:10:52 -0400
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On Monday 16 March 2015 02:17:44 Ben Finney wrote:
> Cameron Simpson <cs@zip.com.au> writes:
> > To quote Graham Dumpleton:
> >
> >  For years have seen people make vague grumbles about something not
> > working with mod_wsgi. Not one ever reported bug or described
> > problem.
>
> Hmm. How easy is it for someone who, say, an hour ago had no idea they
> would ever want to contact Graham Dumpleton; and then encounters a
> problem with mod_wsgi?
>
> * Searching for =E2=80=98mod_wsgi=E2=80=99 leads to a GitHub page. Want t=
o submit a
>   one-off bug report? Too bad, you have to sign up with yet another
>   service.
>
>   No email address is provided for reporting bugs. The person named is
>   Graham Dumpleton; no email address for him is provided.
>
> * If you're persistent enough to contact Graham Dumpleton directly
>   outside the context of the =E2=80=98mod_wsgi=E2=80=99 project, what doe=
s that get
> you?
>
>   Searching =E2=80=9CGraham Dumpleton=E2=80=9D on the web gets a bunch of=
 inconclusive
>   hits.
>
>   He has a Twitter account. Want to send him a single bug report? Too
>   bad, you'd have to sign up for yet another service (Twitter).
>
>   He has a weblog, at Blogger. It gives a specific profile for him.
> With no email address. Want to send a one-off bug report there? Too
> bad, there's no contact information given.
>
> * Are there other ways to report a bug? I can't find them, and I
>   searched for rather longer than someone would be who just wants to
>   describe the problem.
>
> I am unsurprised that people don't end up reporting bugs; there's no
> simple way to do it. No wonder Graham Dumpleton finds a lot of people
> grumbling and not reporting bugs.
>
> >  Sadly becoming the norm. People will just whinge and complain but
> > never actually report issues in Open Source.
>
> Sadly becoming the norm. People will run a software project and just
> assume that users will be willing to go through a registration process
> for every project just to report a bug.

Ben Finney, I hear you, and to me its the most valid lament I have read=20
in weeks. I could replay this exact scene for several packages over the=20
last 2 or 3 years.  It's BS to have to sign up for yet another stream of=20
pure spam from sourceforge or some other equally guilty spammer just to=20
report a bug. I object to being more useful as a source to add to  a=20
spam list, than as someone who is trying to improve the software by=20
reporting the bug.

So guess what?  It doesn't get done. Because of the last 2 bug reports I=20
tried to file, I am now getting 5 to 15 spams a day from sourceforge=20
that have zilch to do with the package I tried to file a bug against. =20
IMNSDHO if the author of a package cannot be bothered to subscribe to=20
the mailing list related to his/her package, and accept feedback from=20
that mailing list as being the equ of a bug report, perhaps querying the=20
user for more details so it is a good bug report, then his buggy package=20
deserves to be nibbled to death by ducks.

I am on several lists where the authors do hang out.  And I am the author=20
on one of them.  Those lists are the ideal list model all should follow. =20
Sadly they are the exception that proves the rule.

I am on the linuxcnc mailing list because I am also a cnc machinist,=20
retired hobby grade, although that software certainly is not.  I can=20
post about a problem, and how to demonstrate it, and have a new package=20
fixing that problem in the repo, to be installed by the package manager,=20
typically in under 12 hours.  I have a config problem with a board from=20
one of the vendors making and selling the board?  The vendor is there=20
and I've had fixes for _my_ missunderstandings that worked perectly in=20
15 minutes.

I'd love to see a sig line or hidden header line, with a URL that is that=20
projects bug tracker, one that is fully accessible using the lists user=20
identity and the same password it takes to log into the server and=20
adjust your list preferences.  But that would make it too easy for us to=20
disturb some of the prima donna's we seem to have nurtured in the last=20
15 years, and we can't possibly be allowed to bother them, can we?

Thanks for bringing up the subject Ben.=20
> --
>  \      =E2=80=9C[Entrenched media corporations will] maintain the status=
 quo,
> | `\       or die trying. Either is better than actually WORKING for a
> | _o__)                  living.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=94ringsnake.livejournal.=
com,
> 2007-11-12 | Ben Finney

Cheers, Gene Heskett
=2D-=20
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
=2DEd Howdershelt (Author)
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>