Disclaimer

Not trying to blame anyone here. I‘m just taking an idea I‘ve read and spinning it further:

Intro

A lot of people use free open source software (foss), Linux being one of them. But a lot less actually help make this software. If I ask them why, they always say „I don’t have the coding skills!“.

Maybe its worth pointing out that you don‘t need them. In a lot of cases it’s better to not have any so you can see stuff with a „consumer view“.

In that situation you can file issues on github and similar places. You can write descriptions that non technical people can understand. You can help translate and so on, all depending on your skills.

Other reasons?

I‘d really like to know so the foss community can talk about making it worthwile for non coders to participate.

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[-] danhakimi@kbin.social 2 points 11 months ago

consumer friendly accomodations like ... cli.

what planet are you living on?

[-] haui_lemmy@lemmy.giftedmc.com 0 points 11 months ago

You can be as condescending as you like. Still, the github cli is easier than using git on the normal console afaik.

You‘re making the same mistake the devs are making. You think because you (or anyone) cant be bothered to use a cli, it doesnt help anyone to have it and its not an accomodation.

But it is.

[-] danhakimi@kbin.social 1 points 11 months ago

I learned a CLI, I have a degree in computer science, people hate CLIs and are terrified of them and instantly run away from your product the second they read that a CLI feature exists.

[-] haui_lemmy@lemmy.giftedmc.com 0 points 11 months ago

I get that you have experience and are probably an expert in a lot of things but this „everything is this“ and „everyone is that“ thinking doesnt help.

The github cli is better to use than normal git and the gui works even better. It still needs work though, that I fully agree on.

[-] danhakimi@kbin.social 1 points 11 months ago

Name an occasion where you heard a non-techy user say 'man, this app is too complicated, I wish I had a CLI to use instead!" nobody who can't code goes anywhere near a CLI, except maybe to copy+paste solutions to common linux problems and install scripts, and even then, they're generally confused and scared.

I know generalizations are bad, but this type of user literally does not exist. you can't claim to be making user-friendly software while imagining users instead of talking to them. Try introducing a muggle friend to linux some time. They never actually say the "it's so much easier!" thing Linux developers imagine they're going to say.

this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2023

183 points (100.0% liked)

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