Enough already!

[Dr.John R.Vokey]

All,
   Sheesh! I have read too much fluff and politeness: it's like the 
whole RR list has become Canadian, eh.

A. Let us all agree that:

1) the runrev team members are great, sweet, wonderful people to a 
fault.
2) runrev is great, sweet, wonderful, <all positive adjectives>, ...

B. But that, the RR IDE (and some aspects of the engine) are deplorably 
buggy.

So,
1) voice all bug complaints *without launching yet again into how ``the 
runrev team members are great, sweet, wonderful people to a fault'', 
and are all working hard, fingers to the bone, nose to the grind stone, 
etc.*  Let's just take that as given.

2) *don't apologise for the lousy documentation, inconsistent 
functioning, damnably stupid decisions (as you see it) by the RR team.  
After all, if *you* can't find it/understand it/use it correctly *it is 
not your fault*.  By definition, it is theirs.  It is their *job* to 
make it clear, straightforward, and simple.  (Imagine trying to make 
your career as a writer and always blaming the reader for ``failing to 
understand, not using the index or the appendix you oh so thoughtfully 
provided''.  Exactly.)

3) But they won't know to fix it if you don't engage in B.1.---whether 
by bugzilla, or by simply writing a letter.  *Don't* for a moment 
believe that you have to use bugzilla, or even email.  Believe (because 
of A.1.) that they will and do listen to every complaint.  Of course 
they do; they are not stupid (and, of course, ``are great, sweet, 
wonderful people to a fault.'').

4) But, by B.2., quit mealy-mouthing your responses: you have a right 
(and, if you care about the product, duty) to bitch, moan, complain, 
perseverate, and otherwise rain on RR and the team *without apology*.  
As for those (you know who you are) who inevitably and boringly jump to 
RR's defence at every seeming opportunity: give it up.  It is silly, 
unnecessary, and, importantly, insulting and often unfairly 
intimidating to the poor user who is just flummoxed by the many 
(entirely expected and predictable) failings of RR.  Remember, not all 
of us are Windoze users who expect and routinely receive much worse 
than RR has ever delivered.  My favourite: ``The only time Microsoft 
will deliver a product that doesn't suck, is when they sell vacuum 
cleaners''.)

5) I, of course, as a Canadian, did not mean to denigrate in any way 
the runrev team members who are all great, sweet, wonderful people to a 
fault.  ;-)  But, you need to claim my nationality to get away with 
such transparent piety.

6) Enough.  Really.  Stop it.

--
John R. Vokey, PhD
Professor
B.E.R.G. - Behaviour and Evolution Research Group
Micro-Cognition Laboratory
Department of Psychology & Neuroscience
University of Lethbridge
Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4
CANADA