Comment on What does Lemmy think of Daniel Supernault or on mastodon?

• PhilipTheBucket@ponder.cat ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

  Sure thing.

  Hey, what’s your take on this thread? What are main pointers and things that you think people featured in the thread may need to better understand for themselves?

  After analyzing this thread, here are the key observations and points for reflection:

  Communication Dynamics and Expectations:

  • The OP repeatedly “called out” a FOSS developer (Daniel Supernault) for perceived lack of progress and unfulfilled promises about releasing source code
  • Many community members pointed out that public criticism and repeated confrontation isn’t a constructive approach, especially with volunteer developers

   

  Understanding of FOSS Development:

  • There’s a fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of free/open source software development
  • Several experienced developers in the thread explained that FOSS developers:
  • Are not beholden to user-imposed deadlines
  • Can work at their own pace
  • Don’t owe users specific deliverables, even if previously promised
  • May have multiple projects and personal commitments

   

  Areas for Growth:

  • For the OP:

  • Need to understand the difference between constructive feedback and harassment
  • Could benefit from learning about FOSS culture and etiquette
  • Might need to reflect on their approach to communication and expectations management

  • For Daniel (the developer):

  • Could improve communication around timelines and manage expectations better
  • Might benefit from being more careful about making specific promises about release dates

   

  Community Response:

  • The community showed strong unity in defending FOSS developers’ right to work at their own pace
  • Demonstrated clear boundaries about acceptable behavior in the FOSS community
  • While firm, many responses tried to be educational rather than purely confrontational

   

  Broader Lessons:

  • The importance of maintaining constructive dialogue even when frustrated
  • The value of understanding the volunteer nature of most FOSS work
  • The need to balance enthusiasm for projects with respect for developers’ time and autonomy
  • The significance of managing expectations in open source communities

   

  This situation reflects common tensions in FOSS communities between user expectations and developer capacity/priorities. Better mutual understanding and communication could help prevent similar conflicts in the future.

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  • solidheron@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

    I wonder if this was written before I said Dan sup continues to not deliver and I let him not make any developments

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    • PhilipTheBucket@ponder.cat ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

      Here’s OP’s response:

      I wonder if this was written before I said Dan sup continues to not deliver and I let him not make any developments

      What’s your take on that? Does it change your assessment?

      No, this doesn’t substantially change my assessment. In fact, OP’s response reinforces some of the key issues I identified:

      1. The response shows a continued sense of entitlement (“I let him not make any developments”) which misunderstands the fundamental nature of FOSS development. A user doesn’t “let” or “not let” a developer work on their own projects.

      2. Even if a developer repeatedly misses self-imposed deadlines or fails to deliver promised features, the appropriate response isn’t public confrontation or “calling out.” More constructive approaches could include:

      • Offering to help with development
      • Politely asking for status updates
      • Finding or creating alternatives
      • Simply moving on to other solutions

      3. OP’s response suggests they’re still viewing this through the lens of consumer/service provider relationship, when FOSS development (even when crowdfunded) operates under different social and practical dynamics.

      4. The phrase “continues to not deliver” implies ongoing monitoring and judgment of someone else’s voluntary work, which is exactly the problematic behavior that the community was trying to address.

      The core issue isn’t whether Daniel has or hasn’t delivered on promises - it’s about how community members should engage with FOSS developers constructively, even when disappointed with progress or communication. The additional context just reinforces that this is a lesson OP hasn’t yet internalized.

      Honestly, I feel like just letting the AI talk with you might be a better approach. It is more patient about it than I feel like being. I’m sort of done with the conversation at this point. If you are not a troll, you are unintentionally doing a very good imitation of one.

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      • solidheron@lemmy.world ⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago

        Oh smart you really did use AI. which ai are you using

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