[Dovecot] Question regarding Postfix and Dovecot

[David Benfell]

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On 03/17/2013 07:13 AM, Stan Hoeppner wrote:
> On 3/17/2013 5:25 AM, Professa Dementia wrote:
> 
>> We are very sorry you are not satisfied with the software. Please
>> feel free to return the software for a full refund of all the
>> money you paid.

This is a formulaic response.
> 
> You do not speak on behalf of Dovecot, Timo, this list, and 
> certainly not for me.  Do not use "we" in this manner.  And
> there's no reason to be a smart ass.

Right.
> 
>> Welcome to the world of open source.  Software is provided 
>> through the generous contributions of many people, all of whom 
>> have regular jobs and do this because they enjoy it.  With open 
>> source, if there is something you do not like, you can change
>> the software to your liking.  Try that with proprietary
>> software.

More formulaic response.
> 
> The OP is fully familiar with the open source model.  Being open 
> source and developed by volunteer effort is NEVER an excuse for 
> crappy software or documentation.  The OP has every right, and 
> *duty* to voice his opinion, whether it be praise or critique. 
> Without critique software doesn't get improved.

I don't know if the "[original poster] is fully familiar with the open
source model" or not, but I would save the rest of this response as a
gem. The formulaic response, which I have seen again and again in the
over ten years I've been working with open source software, really
assumes that all users are programmers--or should be programmers--and
are responsible for submitting fixes when something is wrong.

Because what it really says is, if you don't like it, fix it yourself.
Too many times, I've heard this referred to as "freedom." And like
some other notions of freedom advanced in our society, it is only
freedom for a limited class of people.

There are lots of these kinds of assumptions throughout our society.
But the fact is that not all of our talents align in the same
directions. That's why we have specialization of labor.

The next logical step in this assumption is that a dissatisfied user
should, having become a programmer, fork the project, maintain and
develop that fork, and integrate it at least with whatever
distribution/variety of UNIX-like operating system s/he is using. Not
all of us have time to do this. Again, that's why we have
specialization of labor.

<snip>
> 
> The OP's attitude is fine.  It is yours that is the problem. 
> Dissent and critique should be cherished, not attacked.  We're not 
> a bunch of little Fascists walking in lock step under de Fuhrer 
> Timo, so stop acting like one.
> 
More words to treasure. (Not that Timo envisions himself any kind of
Fuehrer.) This reaches to a certain deification of certain individuals
and organizations in the community--whether they themselves would be
deified or not; I know examples of both--that really ought to be
looked at more critically.


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