[Bug 1269199]

[Andy-90254]

(In reply to comment #8)
> > There are facts, and then there is customer service.
> 
> This website is not a customer service venue, it's a developer tool. The

Really.  So then you're NOT interested in bug reports from users.  Good
to know.

> goal is to do well by our users, but to do so we have to operate with
> efficiency, and keeping the bug database in a condition useful to developers
> helps with that.

And how are my previous suggestions at odds with "keeping the bug
database in a condition useful to developers"?  While "resolved" may
satisfy your needs, there's no reason an additional flag couldn't be
added.  Something like "Dependency Broken" perhaps.  I'm sure you can
think of something appropriate that would satisfy everyone's needs.

> Yes, we could kiss your arse and hand you chocolates and all the other
> trappings of traditional customer relations, but the relation we prefer is
> to treat you as our equal in the participative endeavour that open source

I don't need kisses or candy, but it's a symbiotic relationship.  I'm
not a Konversation developer, I'm a Konversation user.   Without users
there is little reason to have the product.  That means we have an equal
interest, it does not necessarily mean we have equal skills or
knowledge.  The developers are intimate with the product and it's
components, the users are not - nor should that be a requirement of
usage.  You are strongly implying I should have the same skills &
knowledge as a developer of your product, if I want to use your product.
If that's true, then this isn't the right product for me as I want to
use the product, not troubleshoot it.


> [...] Kubuntu/Ubuntu. Konversation nor
> KDE are affiliated with that distro. 

Well that I find to be a fascinating statement, which puts an
interesting perspective on the situation.  It means K/ubuntu bares
responsibility for making KDE and Konversation work on Ubuntu, which I
suppose makes sense.  But it does require the user to be knowledgeable
about the situation.  The average user doesn't care who is responsible,
s/he simply wants to have a working system.  If the system doesn't work,
the user generally goes elsewhere if at all possible.  Users tend to
gravitate towards the path of least pain.

"LTS" is a promise made by your system
> vendor; you should inquire why they don't support you by supplying bugfixes
> that already exist.

And you are absolutely right that bugfixes should be supplied by the
vendor.  Unfortunately the problem is one of complexity.  Once again,
you are requiring the user to be intimately familiar with a highly
complex system that is comprised of an overwhelming number of similarly
complex pieces.  The user cannot be expected to understand the details
of the relationship between subsystems, and so it falls to the developer
to notify and interact with the system vendor, else it is likely that
the problem will not get fixed.

Here's what will typically happen instead 
Newbie: "So I'm looking for an IRC client for Kubuntu.  Any recommendations?"  
Voice of Experience: "Yes.  Whatever you do, avoid Konversation because it keeps crashing and the developer doesn't care."  

I would hope that's not the result you want to see, and I don't think
you understand that is in fact the result that you'll start getting if
it happens too often.  When someone takes the time and trouble to report
a bug - and I can promise you that it is a HUGE HASSLE to report bugs -
it should be handled with all the importance of your product's
reputation in the marketplace - free or not.

Now if you don't care, I certainly can't force you to care.  If you have
a different opinion, you are entitled to it just as I'm entitled to
mine.  I've taken the time to share my thoughts with you in the hope to
convince you - and others watching - that I think there's a better and
more proper way to do things.  As you well know, I can't force you to do
anything you don't want to do.

I moved from Quassel to Konversation recently because I didn't like the
way that product handled certain features.  I put up with it because I
didn't know there was another choice.  I was able to make the move
because someone on an IRC channel made an offhand comment about
Konversation while talking to someone else.  I didn't even know about
Konversation's existence before that.  And that's how most products
survive, thrive or die - by referral or the lack thereof.  I like
Konversation, but if I can't use it then what's the point?

I made the effort to help keep your product alive on Kubuntu, by finding
the proper place to report the problem, so this particular incident is
moot.  However next time I just may not bother.  I can only hope my
words are heard and taken to heart by any of the unknown number of
people reading this.  Thanks for listening.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1269199

Title:
  Qt library crashes

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