bug reporting and openess

[Meitnik at aol.com]

In a message dated 9/3/04 12:07:03 PM, 
use-revolution-request at lists.runrev.com writes:


> It is akin to saying, "if you encounter what you think is a
> > bug, put your development project on the shelf until we determine if
> > you are right or wrong. That could take an indefinite amount of time,
> > during which you are out of luck."
> -- I want to toss some comments. I have encountered this. 
I have several win32 bugs waiting since May to be fixed, they have not been 
fixed. I was told they would be fixed. Still waiting. I was told RR couldn't 
figure out the bugs due to not having win95 installed (only recently does RR 
have it in house!). Humm, RR makes a claim all over their website support for 
Win95 and 98, yet I am convinced RR really has not fully tested RR x.x on 
anything but 2000/XP. I have had to write my own xml parser and am writing my own 
move object code too. I have lost a great deal of time and money working around 
bugs that should have been found and fixed a long time ago. 
You bet openness for bugs is important! I never forgot the first time I 
called in a bug in '85 to a company and was told bugs are trade secrets and they 
won't be confirmed or denied or share what other bugs they have to help me not 
stumble with the software. I am grateful for the many bug fixes, but testing is 
a key and important cost of doing development and openness about bugs would 
save others from costly work as I am having to do now. 
In the movie Reds, Reed makes it clear, you remove disagreement, you remove 
dissent, you remove freedom and choice; in fact the very core of self. Larry 
Tessler used to wear a t-shirt at PARC: DONT MODE ME IN. It works not only at 
software but at support too! ;-)
Openness is strong medicine for sure, but a needed one.

Andrew