Forum OpenACS Development: Response to OpenACS 4 Search Integration, what should it look like?
I have limited resources. I have to satisfy many masters. I am sorry that I cannot devote the resources you require in the direction that would suit you best. This is not because I don't want to help the project, but because I am a frail human and have to satisfy many masters. I regret you don't see it that way, and I regret you cannot find a way to appreciate the efforts devoted on your projects by any who come this way.
There's no response to your request that I volunteer because I am a human being, and you bad mouthed me in one sentence and then badgered me to volunteer in the next, and went further by suggesting that I work on something completely different, which is another way once more of your stating that my honest, honorable, respectful, cooperative, efforts to date are actually worthless. In such circumstances I find it very hard to turn around and ask of you, gosh Don, where is it that I can best help? I think that's too much to ask of most people, and I wonder if you realize that and are expecting no response from me so you can flog me once more, or, well, you need another course in the powers of persuasion. I am trying to improve in my ability to deal in such situations, but Master Po, I am still just grasshopper. What might you have done in your postings to make it easier for me?
When this was pointed out to you by others, instead of doing the honorable thing, and showing your respect for the community and me, and apologizing for your flames, and for your obstinacy, you simply presented your trump, and suggest I no longer play with your marbles.
I mentioned several posts ago that I respect your decision regarding OpenFTS and that I think your decision regarding OpenFTS is reasonable. I believe that our disagreement is on your staffing policies, your communication style, and your inability to bring others along, by letting them ask questions or make mistakes. It's one thing to say, thank you, but let's work in this direction, or let's not do this. It's another to say, why don't you apologize for your bad efforts and then ask us where you can use your help.
No one's calling for you or Ben or anyone to step down (why do people keep bringing up that strawman?) It might be nice to see a steering committee form, because one way you could increase the OpenACS reputation as a professional solution would be to don the cloaks of professionalism: formal structure, process, and respect for others.
I'm not sure what you're getting at with the playground building experience, but regretfully I note that once more you're suggesting my efforts are akin to burning the ACS down. Of course there were plans. And of course it was very well planned out and coordinated. A lot of energy obviously went to logistics and scheduling. But at the nuts and bolts level, it was self assembling by the community. It was point the community to the general problems and the offered solutions and trust in them to get the job down, and to take initiative, and to bring others up to speed, and to raise their concerns when they had them. And concerns were raised, and issues were discussed, and we were building a playground. We weren't building the pyramids. Wow, I just realized that was a whole year ago. And there weren't a couple of hundred of us, the estimates were that it was a couple of thousand of us, from kids to seniors, and to think, with no flaming either. Just how did those leaders pull that off? How did they know what required organization, what required invitation, what required a gentle push, and what required trust?
