Request: Enhancement in Use of Account Codes

[Derek Atkins]

Mike,

Quoting Mike or Penny Novack <stepbystepfarm at mtdata.com>:

>
>>
>> You did not mention which role you intend to take in this, I guess youI
>> don't intend to take on a role.  I see the value in doing, not in
>> theoretical arguments how things should be done.
>>
>> Over and out.
>>
>>
> I thought I was indicating that I might take on any of a number of
> different roles (could wear one of more of those "hats") and being
> retired have the time but that I simply wasn't interested unless we
> could assemble a proper "team". Not going to try to do all the user
> parts of it at the same time as doing the analyst parts. I was trying to
> indicate that as far as I was concerned, it's lack of "user commitment"
> at least as much as lack of developer resources. Not at all strange with
> these projects. Users "want things" but aren't willing to put in the
> time to make more than the vaguest of requests.
>
> This might seem harsh, but take a "bug fix" request (I don't mean a hang
> or loop which is an OBVIOUS bug). I am not seeing such things reported
> as .......
>
> a) Here is the specification (clause in design document) that the
> program is not implementing properly (if there is no such specification,
> then this isn't a "bug report" but a "request for enhancement").
> b) I want this fixed (priority for me) and am willing to be user tester
> for this bug.
>
> In the case of an "enhancement request" the commitment to be part of the
> user group that with the help of a business analyst (if needed) draws up
> the business specification -- what this enhancement would do in detail.
> And of course later for user testing.
>
> I am not taking as "serious" requests as vague as "provide facilities
> for keeping data/producing reports as needed for jurisdiction X". Not
> unless you are asking something like "Mike, I have a user group (could
> be just a group of one) willing to do the work of creating the
> "requirements document". We need a
> business analyst to help us do that. Would you help us with that?

While I agree in principle with what you're saying/requesting, I'm
afraid I have to talk Rolf's side here.  GnuCash doesn't have the
luxury to maintain such a rigid procedure in order to make forward
progress.  We don't have the "staff" to split up the responsibilities.
In general we have two classes of people, "users" and "developers".
The users can be either the source or sink of ideas (or both).
Sometimes this can include testing a new feature.  The developers are
the analysts, programmers, testers, and often times the source or
sink as well.  We don't have the luxury to depend on teams.

GnuCash as an application is WAY under-specified.  So asking a user
to point to a specification and say "it doesn't do this" is asking
a heck of a lot.  First, users aren't usually that motivated at all.
Second, because there isn't a specification, it's even harder for
a user to report a bug that way.   Generally it's more a question
of expectation -- how would you EXPECT it to behave?  If it doesn't
behave how you expect it to, then it's a bug.

So this is why we get the kinds of reports we do.

Generally these really ARE bugs..  Sometimes they really are
Enhancement Requests.

When requests come in us old-timers in the project often have to
act as the specification, talking about the design and reasons are
the way they are.

Now, in Rolf's case, it is definitely an enhancement request.
GnuCash just wasn't ever designed to do some of the things Rolf
wants.  Some of the changes he wants are relatively easy to make
(e.g. the format of reports or the contents of the provided
account hierarchy).   Some of the changes are MUCH more difficult
to make (e.g. the forced changes of a user's data file based on
an updated template hierarchy).

So back to my original statement...  If you're offering to help
here are you offering to help as a user or as a developer?  Rolf
isn't a developer, so he's looking for someone who can act as
Analyst/Programmer/Tester to work with him (as the User/Tester)
to implement the pieces he wants/needs.  I think his frustration
is mostly based on a difference in expectations here (and the fact
that he hasn't found a developer to help him with his much more
difficult ideas).

-derek

-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/    PP-ASEL-IA     N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available