Joerg Mayer wrote:
BTW: it's a bad way to take care of users. The user:
-won't find a hint on the (really) required packages (autoconf/configure
won't tell him)
-won't get a hint when doing the build steps as described
-fails to link the program together (for lack of some libraries)
-won't get immediate response from the mailing list, as he/she isn't
subscribed (and doesn't want to be), he/she will need to wait for one or
more days for mailing list moderator approval.
I don't see things that negatively. If people always gave up that quickly,
they'd never accomplish anything. Nevertheless these two are bugs and need
to be fixed. It's just a matter when I find the time...
--
Joerg Mayer <jmayer@xxxxxxxxx>
We are stuck with technology when what we really want is just stuff that
works. Some say that should read Microsoft instead of technology.
Well, that's exactly one of the few causes, why 95% of the computer
users in the world don't use linux,
and that's one of the main causes, why linux is often called
"homebrewed" or such.
Because the developers of lot's of the linux programs don't take care of
such things!
You cannot underestimate the importance of it! It is much, much, much,
much, much, much, much, more important to get this things running than
*anything* else.
If a user won't get your program running, it might be the best program
in the whole world, the user simply won't try to see it (and probably
will never try again)!!!
When taking the win32 installer, I will download it, install it, and it
will just work!
When taking the linux sources, I will try to compile it (and this will
last a while), and it fails for some reason. Then maybe I will tweak
something, again try to compile it (and again this will last a while)
and again it fails for some reason...
I would declare myself as an experienced computer user, but I wouldn't
try to recycle the above often, as "it's just a matter when I find the
time..." (as you said yourself).
Please keep in mind, that everything the user wants to do is to use a
program. He might not want to learn which libraries is doing what.
I'm really often disappointed, that most of the developers underestimate
the importance of usability. And usability starts when installing the
program, not only when it's already running...
Regards, ULFL
