[MPlayer-users] P L E A S E ! ! !

[Jeffrey Hammel]

Since more than half the posts recently are about the list and not
technical question, I just thought that I (Joe User) should say something.
If you consider this spam, you're probably right, but I bit my tongue as
long as I could.

While I've been using unix for awhile, I wouldn't say I'm any good at it.
But I try to RTFM and all docs first -- rule #1 about linux:  if you don't
want a spoon fed OS, you're going to have to do some work!  As others have
said, this applies to cars, VCRs, can openers, etc.  When I subscribed
(about a month ago), I submitted a bug report with (almost) everything
required.  It was not hard to find out how to do this -- if you think that
it is, then you probably a) don't like reading docs (well who does, but as
an analogy if you don't study for a test and fail, who's to blame) or b)
can't use commands like more, cat. As far as a) goes, there's no excuse
for laziness.  As far as b) goes, don't expect to use linux for 1 month
and expect to get DVDs working.  I am an (amature) programmer and at least
have a concept of the complexity and work involved in making a program
like mplayer robust, fast and usable.

In short:
compiling mplayer and reading docs -> easy
developing mplayer -> hard

My bugreport was attended to and I learned from responses that the problem
was my sound setup not mplayer.  I think those who answer questions on
this list have done a very good job of debugging problems that have
nothing to do with mplayer.

The reason I have not answered any questions is two-fold (oh no, another
list!):
1) I'm not very knowlegable.  Still RTFMing (and mailing list, and other
docs, etc).  I want to know more about linux audio and video, DVDs, etc.,
but there's a lot to know and progress is slow due to other workload.
I've found (by getting whacked down from my pedestal over and over again)
that its better to be a silent observer than to offer "advice" that turns
out to be wrong.  You MIGHT even learn something.  (Note I'm breaking this
rule with this e-mail, but since everyone else is saying "IMHO" I will
take that liberty as well).
2) The few times I knew the answer (or at least direction) for a problem,
someone else more knowledgable would beat me to answering, usually giving
a better answer than I.

This doesn't seem to be an mplayer issue, or a linux issue, or a newbie
issue.  It seems to be whether people can follow directions or not.  I
don't know about other countries, but certainly in the US the ability to
follow simple instructions is not commonly used.

I think this list is well-maintained and "correctly-spirited" for a linux
list.  I also think that suggestions on restricting subscribers by adding
more directions for them to follow (i.e. include in the message body "I
have read the relavent docs" whatever) is probably a good idea, or even
not allowing subscribers to mail the list for 24 hours or something
reasonable (of course, the bitter un*x users will point out that they'll
probably just delete the mails anyway).  I don't think we can stop the
problem of "petty" [not following the directions] posts, but it MAY help.

This is not to say I haven't seen venting from frustrated developers on
the list.  I don't think this has a place here either and would offer the
guidelines of sitting on your fingers before posting.  But its really not
that bad as many of the posts here would have you believe.
mplayer gurus: may need a little more patience
mplayer newbies: need MUCH MORE PATIENCE

Anyway, this is just a waste of bandwidth from Joe User, just giving my
opinions.  If you don't like, direct to /dev/null.  And just to use the
disclaimer mplayer uses: read my whole post before responding.

Jeff Hammel

>> If you disagree, just look who is answering the questions.
>> It's either a developer (one of those few who are still
>> reading this list), Gabu or me.
>> Only from time to time there is a mere user helping another.
>> I dunno why it is like this...=20

>It's like this because the developers do not foster a community where
>the average Joe feels like contributing.  All that is ever seen here
>is hostility towards the users.  Most people probably come here and
>just read enough to get their questions answered and move on.

>I understand your frustration with getting "It don't work" type of
>questions, and will be the first to admit that you probably get a
>userbase of "less clued" (~drool~ I just wanna watch DVDs on my
>computer ~drool~) users than a more technical "systems" type Open
>Source project like a DHCP or Web or file server.

>But if you want a community of users that help each other, you have to
>set a good example.  If you want users that learn and stick around
>and in turn help other newbies learn and turn into helpers, you have
>to foster a positive environment for that to happen.

>Calling them morons and telling them that they don't know how to read
>the fucking manual and don't know how to submit bug reports just turns
>them off and they go find somewhere else where they can feel useful
>and feel like they are learning something.
>
>b.
>
>--=20
>Brian J. Murrell