Walter's annoying habits

[John Reimer]

On Thu, 21 Dec 2006 02:20:22 -0800, Andrei Alexandrescu (See Website For  
Email) <SeeWebsiteForEmail at erdani.org> wrote:

> Stewart Gordon wrote:
>> And to those bringing up the statement that we haven't paid for this  
>> product, in a sense we have.  We've paid with the time spent evaluating  
>> D and DMD, reporting bugs and offering suggestions.
>
> "Nobody put a gun to yer head."
>
> Andrei


That statement (or quote) doesn't follow the reasoning presented.  Stewart  
wasn't arguing about whether community members are forced to help Walter  
or not.  He was merely countering the argument that states:  Walter does  
this for free, therefore we have no right to question him. In truth,  
Walter works on dmd for free and the community contributes to Walter's  
work for free, therefore both entities have invested in D and both  
entities share interest in the outcome.

Now forceful demands are another story... I don't think anyone can justify  
"putting the gun" to the designer's head to get him to do what they want  
him to do or get him to act as they expect him to act.  And, even so, it's  
most assuredly a fact that Walter would bulk even if a gun were put to his  
head to make him do something he didn't want to do. ;D

Now, Stewart, I don't think you caught the general drift of the topic  
enough to realize further comments on the subject would not likely garner  
more support.  If you had Asperger's syndrome, I guess we'd have to  
forgive you for lacking a general instinct for tact, sensitivity, and  
general social awareness.  But how is a community to respond to such  
persistance?  What do we call that?  I think even those with Asperger's  
would figure it out in the first round.  I think most here can forgive you  
anyway... but man, you've got me flummoxed on this one.

And no, that isn't a slam on people with Asperger's syndrome; I surely  
sympathize if they want my sympathy (which most claim to not want because  
it annoys them).  But I refuse to pussyfoot around such details.  Maybe I  
was insensitive in bringing it up in the first place? Ah man, never know  
until it's too late.

My point is, and perhaps Stewart is a sterling example, that the majority  
of people on this planet can lay claim to some obscure form of chronic  
insensitivity syndrome for various reasons... one reason being that they  
sincere don't care.  Stewart, I think, does care but appears to express  
his care by dabbing copious amounts of salt and vinegar in the fresh wound.

D is going 1.0.  For that I will celebrate.  That Walter got it this far  
intact is respectable.

-JJR