[RFC] GTK+ 3 Migration - Alpha-grade Patchset

[John Ralls]

> On Feb 27, 2016, at 5:32 AM, Tobias Markus <tobias at miglix.eu> wrote:
> I have to disagree here:
...
> 
> 
> There is a simple benefit: GnuCash (currently) is a GTK+ application,
> and there is no reason why it shouldn't use a feature that improves
> integration with the desktop. If you don't like GApplication and GTK+,
> just finish CuteCash.
...
> 
> John, I think we maybe had a somewhat bad start. But please don't write
> off everything I do trying to improve GnuCash as bad just because it is
> related to GTK+.


You did get off to a bad start, and you've made it worse with this letter.

Perhaps English is not your first language and you are deaf to the attitude that you project: That you think that you're the one who decides GnuCash's direction and that the actual development team are a bunch of incompetent subordinates that you are trying to direct.

The usual way for new developers to get involved with open-source projects is gradually: Small submissions, often bug fixes, that are easy to code-review and test in isolation. That helps the established developers on the project build confidence in the new contributor and to guide him or her towards the project's style and procedures. In time the new developer shows that they're committed to the project, have the necessary skills to take on larger work, and know the project's norms well enough that they know when they need to get input from other developers and to ask for it. You've chosen to do the opposite: You've produced an enormous change that would take many weeks of scarce developer time to review and tried to jam it into the project, disputing the input from the established developers who've tried to guide you.

So start over. First, introduce yourself: What is your interest in GnuCash, what is your experience, what other open source projects have you contributed too, that sort of stuff. Some personal info is a nice addition, it helps to establish a personal connection. Set your Gtk3 change aside for a while and work on some bug fixes. Alternatively, you said that the WebKit2 change is small, so break it out, clean up its history with good commit messages, and submit that as a PR.

Regards,
John Ralls