[Info-vax] OT: The New Face of HP

[John Wallace]

On Oct 15, 12:17 am, Arne Vajhøj <a... at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
> seasoned_geek wrote:
> > On Oct 13, 6:17 pm, Arne Vajhøj <a... at vajhoej.dk> wrote:
> >> 1)  Why do you expect someone to fix this problem for you without you
> >>      paying?
> > I said I didn't care if the bug was fixed or not.  I didn't contact
> > HP, I contacted the registered volunteer maintainer of the package and
> > not only reported the bug, but provided them with the compilation
> > results and identified what need to be changed.  The response was to
> > direct me to HP's contracted services and fork over some 1200 or so
> > Euros and they would get right on it.
>
> > You cannot be the registered volunteer maintainer _and_ direct all bug
> > reports to a billable service.  You are only allowed to say that you
> > will put it on the list of things you might get to, but to jump ahead
> > in the list you can contact this other service and pay money.
>
> As a volunteer maintainer he can do whatever he wants to do.
>
> If you want some specific service then you pay.
>
> You have gotten software for free. You have gotten access to the source
> code for free so you can fix problems yourself. But you apparently
> have a mistaken and rather absurd idea that you also get support for
> free. You don't.
>
> > The "negro" slur was his response to my pointing this out.
>
> > Once again, I don't care if it is fixed or not, as I stated, I was
> > simply offended by the crime.  Yes Arne, it was a bait and switch.
> > They didn't say they don't maintain the package anymore, they didn't
> > say they would add it to the list, they said somebody had to pay them
> > before they would look into it.  If they want HP to be paid for their
> > time, that is fine, they simply cannot be the registered volunteer
> > maintainer, therein lies the fraud.
>
> Get a grip on reality.
>
> Volunteer maintainers are not obliged to act in certain specific ways.
>
> If you are unhappy with the maintainer then you fork the code
> and create your own version.
>
> And while no one can demand any specific service from you, then you are
> free to provide 24x7 support with bug-fixing guaranteed within
> 4 hours if you want to.
>
> >>      I cannot see why HP or this gentleman should offer you support
> >>      for free.
>
> > Because you don't read.
>
> More likely I just know what volunteer maintainers do.
>
> >> 2)  And accusing him of of supporting KKK sounds like slander to me.
>
> > Regardless of what it sounds like to you, he made a racial slur and
> > accused me of being an overseer abusing slaves which is and was
> > completely inaccurate.
>
> He noted that you wanted service for free and that slave owners
> actually fed their slaves. That seems to be two accurate
> statements.
>
> I would consider it a rather rude comparison.
>
> But it does not mean that he is supporting KKK.
>
> Arne


"Volunteer maintainers are not obliged to act in certain specific
ways."

The clue is in the name.

Volunteers do not demand payment.

I suspect that most people in most parts of the world would think that
any maintainer who demands payment (be it a personal payment or a
payment to their employer) before doing maintenance work has
voluntarily relinquished the position of VOLUNTEER maintainer.