Re: IceWeasel-UXP and IceDove-UXP

[Mark H Weaver]

Hello,

guixuser <address@hidden> writes:
> Asking the new users to package what they want and suggesting
> alternative applications; is like passively showing middle finger to
> them.

This idea seems to pop up from time to time, and I think it deserves a
closer look.

First of all, we're not asking you to do anything.  Rather, you are
asking us to do something.  You are asking us to do the development work
to add the packages you need.

For what it's worth, I've spent hundreds of hours over the last few
years maintaining the GNU IceCat package in Guix, and at least 40 hours
trying to get IceDove working.  Sorry, but I got stuck and ran out of
energy.  I'm under no moral obligation to finish that work.  I'm not
standing in the way of someone else doing it, and I never promised
anyone that I'd finish it.  Also, incidentally, I've never made a penny
from working on Guix.

You seem to be suggesting that my failure to finish this work is
tantamount to showing you my middle finger (which is a strong insult in
my culture, for the benefit of those who might not know).  More to the
point, you seem to be implying that I have a moral obligation to add the
missing packages that you desire.

Please keep in mind that we are not a business who sold you a product.
We are a widely dispersed group of volunteers from around the world who
built this system to meet our own needs, and we decided to offer it as a
gift to anyone else who wants it.  Moreover, we have taken pains to
ensure that you have the freedom to change this gift as you wish, to
better meet your own needs.

You apparently find this gift intriguing in some ways, but also
disappointing in other ways.  I'm sincerely sorry if this gift is not
satisfactory to you, but please understand that we are under no
obligation to do anything more for you.  That's not an insult, it's
simply me saying that you have no right to demand more of me.  If you
don't like the gift, don't use it.  No one is pushing it on you.

If you invited me to your home for dinner, and I didn't like the food,
should I feel entitled to demand that you go back into the kitchen and
cook my chosen dish?  If you told me "you're free to use the kitchen to
cook it yourself", should I take that as an insult?

      Mark