The role of users

[David T.]

Michael--

Is it your intention to turn THIS thread into another flame war about how members of the community are supposed to contribute? Because that's what it sounds like. 


Your comments also seem to imply that my observations in particular are not to be taken seriously, and I resent that.

Unfortunately, your comments perpetuate the very negative atmosphere that others have noted about the Gnucash community.


David



________________________________
 From: Mike or Penny Novack <stepbystepfarm at mtdata.com>
To: David T. <sunfish62 at yahoo.com> 
Cc: Ross Boylan <RossBoylan at stanfordalumni.org>; Gnucash user list <gnucash-user at gnucash.org> 
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2012 4:15 AM
Subject: Re: The role of users
 

> If I could offer more than this, I would. I really think Gnucash is great software, and I wish I could figure out how to scratch my own Gnucash itches (like better reports).
> 
>  
In the "real world" the development of software involves the time and effort of more people than just the "developers". You do NOT have to be a coder to be useful. There is a role for users in the process, more than just a wish "I would like to have THIS" or "I would like to have THAT fixed" with only a vague description of what This or that might be.

I would take more seriously the complaints IF the complaining users were to say I/we will agree to commit our time and effort to that part of the process which is the users role. In a real world software process usually at least 20% of time/effort is users coming up with a formal definition of what is wanted (from the users' point of view). What the software is supposed to do under normal circumstances and what it is supposed to do under all exceptional circumstances. And then coming up with the (user) test plan for acceptance and supplying users for that testing (comes after the coding developers have tested and eliminated gross errors). In fact, this can sometimes be much more than 20% of the process.

If there is no formal definition of what some piece of software is supposed to do then whatever it does is correct (as long as it doesn't hang or loop).

Users don't have to do this alone. Or shouldn't have to. If and when a "user team" comes into being they should be able to ask for the assistance of an analyst experienced with working the users side as well as the coder side.

Michael D Novack, FLMI