Walter's annoying habits

[Kyle Furlong]

Stewart Gordon wrote:
> It's time to make a list of Walter's habits that continually annoy us. 
> Here are some of my peeves, to start it off:
> 
> 
> 1. Dodging issues, including important ones such as
> 
> http://www.digitalmars.com/webnews/newsgroups.php?art_group=digitalmars.D.bugs&article_id=9360 
> 
> http://www.digitalmars.com/webnews/newsgroups.php?art_group=digitalmars.D&article_id=41553 
> 
> 
> (Why is webnews showing only two messages from this in the thread view, 
> even when viewing the message?)
> 
> 2. Denying responsibility for his
> own slip-ups.  For example, marking what's left of
> 
> http://d.puremagic.com/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=327
> 
> INVALID despite this being due to an obvious mistake he made while 
> updating the spec, as well as violating the design of D.  No doubt there 
> are other instances, but I can't seem to think of them at the moment.
> 
> 
> 3. Otherwise hitting the INVALID 'button' without properly analysing 
> things, meaning that it becomes necessary to reopen.
> 
> 
> 4. Implementing his own ideas but keeping even constructive criticism - 
> let alone implementation - of other people's ideas to a minimum.
> 
> 
> 5. Implementing new features when he should be concentrating on getting 
> things working properly.
> 
> 
> 6. Postponing indefinitely, for no apparent reason, folding in fixes 
> people have gone to all the trouble to write.
> 
> 
> 7. Not using a spellchecker.
> 
> 
> 8. Apparently never learning from the spelling corrections we keep 
> giving him.
> 
> (Please forgive me if you _have_ since heeded the advice in
> http://d.puremagic.com/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=631
> )
> 
> 
> More contributions to this list would be more than welcome!
> 
> Stewart.

While I told myself I wasn't going to go here, I am.

I think the idea behind this post is that since we have a one man 
development organization, we could improve D as a whole by improving the 
man. This is simply ridiculous. Think about what you are saying Stewart. 
You're basically asking a stranger to change himself (presumably to 
conform to your idea of better) because it would (again presumably) have 
a good effect on the product he creates.

Asking these sort of things of an *organization* that releases a product 
is reasonable, as the *organization* has the ability to adapt as an 
organization of multiple people which has a character independent of its 
parts. So asking for better documentation, a more intimate relationship 
with its clients, or any other things makes sense.

But for you, the consumer of the product of a one man team, to ask that 
person to change the very personal "bad habits" of his individual nature 
is absurd.

As others have pointed out, you don't flipping /pay/ Walter *anything*. 
He can do whatever he damn well pleases so, yes, he may or may not 
exhibit characteristics which you would change, he is not beholden to 
you or any of us to change himself to suit your idea of perfect.

Once and only when you become Walter's client, then you may act within 
your prerogative as a paying customer. However, were I to have you as a 
client and you came to my house (or my forum) and started to tell me how 
to write my code, live my life, and relate to people, I would (depending 
on my mood) politely show you the door, get my gun, and/or cancel your 
account.

Think before you speak.