Seems to me a lot of people who want stuff for free make a lot of feature
requests...

I've been seeing a lot lately - not just on this list - and I'm not trying
to smack anyone in particular - but in general I find the tone of the
messages annoying.

Open Source works when a lot of talented people donate some time to one
another and bounce some stuff around in developing and improving a project
through an iterative process - everyone learns something, grows their
experience, becomes intimately familiar with the project and probably gains
a few karma points for helping a newbie or two...

Maybe it is sometimes a limitation of language, but personally I think that
it's only fair to be prepared to put something in... otherwise open source
is just people taking advantage of hardworking volunteers who have enough
skills to get PAID WELL for what they are doing here and elsewhere.

5 thoughts for a better community?

0) don't be demanding - the project existed before you and will exist after
you - be prepared to make a case for what you want and explain how it
benefits the masses
1) state how you can help acheive the goals you have
2) look for alternative approaches that result in the same goal
3) be prepared for commitee style discussion and for the fact that you may
not win
4) be prepared to develop your own extension, or patch and PUBLISH IT

If the trend continues I would hazard a guess to the possibility of
"sort-of-open-source" developments emerging where people who want to
cooperate do so, and have a members only attitude towards the mass influx of
people who don't stop to think of what they are saying will sound like to
others (especially considering what they have contributed to the project so
far).

Again - not picking on anyone - just ranting in general.

Sorry.

m/