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Re: mplayer debs, was: Re: AVI player recommendations
I think I'll delve into this once more and be done with it.
On Thu, 2002-01-10 at 17:31, Sarah Hay wrote:
> Well I have read the details of installing mplayer and I don't have a
> problem with it. In the end I will do it however it works, if that makes any
> sense.
Call me anal, but I am usually not satified with just having it work.
Linux gives me the ability to have it work well.
The attitude at mplayerhq.com is arrogant and arrogance always has to
> do with ethics. You may be able to get past this arrogance but I cannot. They
> are arrogant to the extent of being offensive. They insult manufactures, they
> insult users, and they,in many of their forums, insult newbies and regular
> users alike. This akin to going on one of the BBS's and seeing newbies
> answered with curt answers or suggesting that they try and translate the
> sometimes cryptic man pages? Or what about the suggestions do this or that or
> this without even asking the new user if they know what they are talking
> about?
I'm not real sure what arrogance has to do with ethics. In some ways I
see myself as arrogant, yet I do my best to live by my own and societal
ethical standards.
As said before, I agree with you concerning the attitude of the mplayer
developers. Though in their defense, if every person followed the
suggestions in "How to ask Questions the Smart Way" by Eric S. Raymond
referenced in another post here by Logan Brown, I think we would see
less of the frustration shown by some in the various forums.
If they don't want someone copying and distributing their brainchild
> then they should not be open source and as far as I can decern distributing
> in the legal sense includes the accepting of cash and having a deb, RPM, or
> other such binary for free consumption is not breaking the licenses of open
> source. As well why forbid binaries to be distributed and yet tell everyone
> how to do it as the do in TFM?
Strickly speaking it is a little more complicated than that. You have
to keep in mind that open source does not mean free or public domain.
The GPL is not something that I've curled up in front of the fire and
read,so my knowledge of its details is limited, but in this case what I
understand is that you can distribute the source all you want. The
problem arises when distributing a binary. If you want to know why this
is then read the GPL at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html
As to why they tell you how to compile in TFM. At the risk of sounding
sarcastic, you've already blasted them for their abuse of newbies. Just
think what would happen if they got a thousand questions about how to
compile.
>
> As Jason commented don't use acronyms I have been using Linux and help
> forums for awhile but I really hate when people use them because I am not
> into the speak. I do use them whenI am fairly sure that the person on the
> other end knows what the hell I mean. RTFM. I can read the manual
> just fine thanks, but if it leads to the app not working and the install
> appeared to go find then I go TFBBS or the FMLs and ask what I may be doing
> wrong from people that I expect have tried or are running the app!
Jason did not say don't use acronyms. He requested that I not use
"RTFM" because he found it offensive. I'm sorry you dislike there use,
but I'm afraid that's just the way it is in this industry.
>
> In the end I came here to get help not be lectured about how my views differ
> from yours.
I meant no offense by suggesting you read the manual. I had just done
the install last night and found the manual most instructive. When I
read your post I thought that you may not have know that the developers
has finally put one together.
Plus your comment about ethics sort of rubbed me the wrong way.
If you view my comments and opinions as a lecture so be it. They are
after all only my opinions.
Regards,
Michael
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