Why Developers stop helping - an open letter

General (non-technical) Off-Topic
#1

I had taken PropertyBag off GitHub recently and now with some dealings with an immature user, I have had a deep thought that I might *not* want to help on the forums any more. Users so not need help, they have this strange feeling of *demanding* as if it was their right, their right to what??

Some users have been in correspondence with me, others visit my site and read up on things. Since I know the ones that are in constant touch by their names and handles, I have also seen a few grow and learn lua and then start to respond to other questions. If you email me, I will respond as long as I know you, if I don’t I *might* respond.

So, this would be the last post on these forums till I rethink my decision.

After all, it was a small group of people that caused the 9/11 but everytime any one in the US boards a flight they are subjected to a whole lot of strife, TAS checks, pat downs, x-ray scanners, etc. This one individual has set the ball rolling and there will be other genuine users that will be affected.

All the best,

cheers,

?:slight_smile: [import]uid: 3826 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 314233[/import]

#2

I gave up some time back. Also noticed that many of the regulars from 6-12 months ago aren’t participating as much either. I just hop on here from time to time to see if I’ve missed a feature or announcement. [import]uid: 11393 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52483[/import]

#3

ohhhhh that is too bad… [import]uid: 71210 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52489[/import]

#4

why ignore all the forum because of some ignorant characters? there are many good people, who genuine thankful for any help(me too)) [import]uid: 16142 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52500[/import]

#5

Yeah please reconsider.

Don’t let a minority affect you from helping on the forums. The amount of goodwill, code sharing and help given by users in this community is part of what makes Corona great.

Don’t let them get to you! [import]uid: 84637 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52512[/import]

#6

Jayant you are always very active on the forums and should not let these types of people change who you are. Corona has become hugely popular recently and with more people come more idiots (I’m sure there’s a formula out there :slight_smile: ). Keep a blacklist of people you won’t help, but the community can’t afford to lose people like yourself. [import]uid: 31262 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52513[/import]

#7

Sometimes a little break does a world of good; hopefully that is the case here.

I know how you feel and am aware the individual you attempted to help earlier behaved very badly. (I can think of many words to describe it but I’m afraid I’d have to moderate my own comment if I used them ;))

In any case, I hope this is a temporary thing; the number of good users far outweighs the bad and I’d like to think the majority of them genuinely do appreciate the help people such as yourself offer.

Peach :slight_smile: [import]uid: 52491 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52519[/import]

#8

Jayant: don’t let one bad apple ruin the bushnel.

How many times have I shared with all of you what would have happened if Walter and I had listened to the first set of VC’s we talked to who had no idea what mobile was and what it became?

Or the countless other individuals when we first set out on this journey who told us we were facing an Everest with the likes of Apple, Microsoft, and don’t even get me started on the number of “professionals” and VC’s who told us “What makes you think Adobe is not going to come after you and introduce a similar product”.

Listen to your peers here asking you to stay on board. What more do you want?

Roses? Tell me where to send them.

Stay. Ignore. Contribute. You will be happy on the long run.

C. [import]uid: 24 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52522[/import]

#9

Hi Jayant,

welcome to the club. Just like bedhouin states, at lot of us oldtimers are quite here or have left already. We can fill a good sized room with them now.

Imho participating inside a forum will take to much time from your goal anyway, creating apps and games with the tool you bought initially. Unless you take your joy and pride being a forum hooker. :wink: In the time you are browsing these forums and giving unpaid support, you could also work on your projects. Think about it.

Listening and acting to bad comments of a few is not something you should do. You are better than that. Better think about what you want to achieve. I am sure that you, just like me and others here, don’t need much help, if anything, when it comes about using corona. You have to ask yourself why do you visit this forum. For social contacts, help other people, curiousity? If there is something that you take joy out of it, then you have a good reason.

You know where you can get a hold of me :slight_smile:
Take care
Michael [import]uid: 5712 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52660[/import]

#10

Please reconsider! [import]uid: 66859 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52950[/import]

#11

New hire at Ansca! Congrats.

Looks like he reconsidered :wink: [import]uid: 9422 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52953[/import]

#12

Hi jayant,

you are one of the most helpful people around. So please do stay around in the forums. [import]uid: 55009 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52980[/import]

#13

Jayant! You’re like the head of the UN diplomatic corps now, leading the Corona Ambassador thingy! So, you have an excuse NOT to be in the forums as much anyway. Good thing I have your personal email, I’ll be contacting you anyways! :wink:

Seriously though, ignore the dumbasses, and help the ones that are genuinely in need when you have a chance.

I agree with the others, one bad apple, yada yada!!

Look forward to hearing from you! [import]uid: 11636 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52984[/import]

#14

Hi everyone,
I thought it would be best to re-address this situation.

  1. All the thoughts expressed are my own and have no bearing/relation on AnscaMobile in any form.
  2. My position with AnscaMobile that was announced this morning is more about co-ordinating and developing the Corona Ambassadors. Think of it as the Most Valuable Corona Developers that help the community in person.
  3. The reason for me taking a hiatus or a sabbatical was that the new developers that ask for help have a little less experience but a motor-mouth when they are impatient on answers. In life these guys will be denied things for their attitude, but on-line they make the innocent the casualties for their actions.
  4. I have received a lot of emails from many of you that I should re-consider, let me assure you that I am not quitting the framework, that CoronaSDK is and nor was it my intention to garner attention to me but to the fact that if there are trolls on the forums that behave like these, rather than Peach having to censor them, it should be the community that should tell them off. Hence the title of this post, Why Developers stop helping.

I have spend years on making closed software, I like the idea of free and open software where others can learn from pre-existing code. There are some wonderful people that have done so, one of them that stands out is Jonathan Beebe.

I am around, if there are issues that are not resolved or where I feel there is a point in adding a response, I shall be there, so rather as one close acquaintance put it, rather than be the “Forum Hooker”, I loved that analogy, put on the bat signal and I’ll be there :wink:

And as usual there are new posts on http://howto.oz-apps.com on lua and CoronaSDK, development and others things.

cheers,

?:slight_smile: [import]uid: 3826 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52989[/import]

#15

@xenon, hope the long answer explains my position with Anscamobile better. I am with the developers but am unhappy for ignorant and bad attitude people lurking in the forums and behaving in an unacceptable behaviour. It was me, what if this goes on with other members, the point is that behaviours are either acceptable or unacceptable and my point is to ask all of the community to shun such individuals from being a disruptive influence.

plus if there is a forum question that *really* needs to be answered, you will find my comments there :wink:

cheer,

?:slight_smile: [import]uid: 3826 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 52990[/import]

#16

@jayantv My perspective of these forums, and the Corona community in general (code share area, folks like yourself, Beebe, Peach, Crawlspace Games dudes, Ansca employees, etc.) is that the good apples far outshine the bad. I simply could not have gotten as far as I have using Corona without the help freely given by others.

While the occasional posting does come across as rude, overall I’d rate Ansca forums as fairly positive compared with many other forums I’ve visited. But I think things could actually get pretty ugly if users took it upon themselves to “tell off” the rude ones. I can ignore the occasional ignorant comment, but a forum full of mud slinging I would simply never visit.

It sounds like you got burned a couple times while trying to help, which is a shame. I’m not sure what a “forum hooker” is (implies some form of payment for services provided??), but if popping in like Batman when help is truly needed is more your style (and keeps your blood pressure in check), then I welcome your new roll.

[import]uid: 9422 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 53011[/import]

#17

Jayant knew what I ment with a “forum hooker”. They are developers who never get anything done because they spend most of the time participating in forum conversations. They take their joy/pride out of this.
The opposite side are developers who are almost never seen in a forum and rather get their projects done. These are much more productive. Seen and been on both sides, so I guess I what I am talking about.

I have experienced exactly the same thing 12 months ago just like Jayant did when I have helped people here.
Some are never satisfied no matter what. Imho the problem is in the fact, you have this developer gen/thinking/talent/whatever or you don’t. The later ones can’t come up with the most simple solutions to a problem on their own.
Naturally a tool like Corona, which is advertized as even a potatoe could use it, attracts people who simply don’t have it. These people need to be constantly spoon fed and once you did that, they complain that the food doesn’t taste like they want it to or that they get told to eat on their own now.

Ok, enough of that. Be happy guys that Jayant is not gone forever. He’s a great guy!

Michael [import]uid: 5712 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 53046[/import]

#18

I am really new to Corona, (about 10 weeks in) and still trying to wrap my head around the program, concepts and game development in general.

I ask questions all the time, and am really appreciative of any answer I get, especially when I’m wrong, or my questions/wording are ill thought out.

It’d be a real shame to lose the experience and potential input of any helpful individual based on the actions of a few.

I too experience frustration when answers are not forthcoming, or a thread I post simply dries up without explanation, as due to my inexperience it is impossible for me to continue a project if I reach an insurmountable hurdle.

Perhaps if experienced users were to post that they have provided all help they are able to, rather than just ignore subsequent posts, frustration would be alleviated.

I just think that if I take 10 mins to answer any questions I can, as frequently as I can, and everyone else does likewise, the support network would be much stronger.

Please don’t leave new developers wanting for assistance if you are able to help. [import]uid: 67933 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 53062[/import]

#19

I’m a new corona user as well, and i’m unhappy to read things like that. But Carlos was right with his statement.

There are so many peaple which will profit by useful posts. I mean there are so many new users, which just read in the forum and asking questions because they are still learning, and havent’t the knowledge to answer things.

At my first touch with corona, i was supriesed how strong the community is (code exchange etc.), and that was also a reason to purchase corona.

But i’m still a student, and I have little time to work on my project. So it is difficult to stay tuned in the forum. In addition I can just post here with my dictionary :slight_smile:

But all I wanted to say is, there are a lot of other peaple, operate in the shadows, which depend on people like you.

thanks,
Mike [import]uid: 53732 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 57781[/import]

#20

I really like Corona SDK and Ansca has performed miracles getting the company and toolset off the ground.

More than adding features, Ansca must address the significant gaps in documentation and product bugs. Both of these items would dramatically reduce the need for online community support. It appears the value added documentation base is published largely via Blog posts. A lot of learning must take place by self synthesizing Ansca code templates functionality. A number of these are out dated referencing older techniques or libraries such as UI.lua. The integration of the Box2D Physics engine to Corona leaves a lot of open questions for how the behavior precisely operates. One is never quite sure if issues are bugs or implementation errors.

I posted a question yesterday regarding a possible bug or misunderstanding of behavior and have not gotten a reply.

http://developer.anscamobile.com/forum/2011/09/26/airhockey-2-reordering-object-placement-alters-physics-settings

Personally, I was disappointed in the release of LaunchPad, would have much rather have seen the resources go towards improved documentation, removal of obsolete docs (Yes, even old dated YouTube videos referencing the game version that no longer exists), an integrated knowledge base, and maybe an integrated dev environment with modern debugging.

Thank you!

-David
[import]uid: 53538 topic_id: 14233 reply_id: 57797[/import]