Re: Metaproblem, part 3

[David Kastrup]

Eric Abrahamsen <address@hidden> writes:

> "Stephen J. Turnbull" <address@hidden> writes:
>
>> Eric Abrahamsen writes:
>>
>>  > It would be nice to explicitly let posters know that they can ask
>>  > someone for help with implementing a feature/squashing a
>>  > bug. There's lots of helpful advice here and on emacs.help, but
>>  > that's not quite the same as knowing that someone has committed
>>  > (to some extent) to assisting you.
>>
>> I see worries about "hostile" environment, and suggestions for making
>> things more welcoming to new contributors.  I have to ask, what do
>> all you folks who are suggesting Emacs change its procedures think is
>> in it for the mentors and core developers?
>
> FWIW (not much), I have never felt any hostility here or in emacs.help,
> and I'm not complaining about anything. Possibly I haven't felt it
> because I'm coming in at such a low level that no nerves are touched --
> I'm asking basic questions.

See, that's your mistake.  The first steps towards feeling hostility on
developer lists is to tell people that they are doing it all wrong but
they are lucky you came around to tell them.  There are a lot of
variations on the theme, of course.  But if you feel that a technical
mailing list as such rather than, say, an isolated person having a bad
day, act hostile, chances are that you score in that area.

> The only reason I chimed in is because I'm one of those who would love
> to contribute more substantially, but needs guidance. For example,
> I've got the basics of an epub-editing mode in place. I'd like it to
> be a solid library, and would likely need assistance to get it there.

Can you figure out what is missing and phrase it into questions?  While
there is the phenomenon that if you are asking 10 people, you'll get 20
answers, I think that for basic problems the Emacs list will not split
into so many different factions of "do it my way" that you'll get much
more confusing answers from the group of people reading this list than
you would get from a single tutor.

-- 
David Kastrup