[linux-audio-user] a letter from ron parker

[Russell Hanaghan]

R Parker wrote:

>Hi Paul,
>
>Before I say anything depressing and express my
>frustration, please take to heart how much I
>appreciate what you're doing. Ardour is an incredible
>accomplishment and I view it as an enourmous act of
>generosity.
>
>I know you're trying to release 1.0 and start the
>GKT2.0 port at the new year. I have had enough serious
>problems with Ardour that I don't see how that's
>possible. Maybe my perspective is very narrow and I
>can't see beyound the issues that I run into. It's
>just that I keep running into problems that are
>intolerable to most guys like me (pro engineers).
>
>I have to share a personal frustration with you that
>affects my attitude for trying to help with Ardour.
>
>Because I am not a developer nobody will ever know
>that I have made a contribution. I feel insignificant,
>overlooked or unappreciated. How can I say that when
>everytime an issue arises you're there to help. 
>
>If a developer contributes a couple bug fixes, that
>person recieves recognition by being listed in the
>developers section of the About dialog. Yet their
>effort seems miniscule when compared to mine. The way
>I read this is if you're not a developer, then in the
>Ardour world you're nobody. I don't know if there's
>any other way to interpret this. From my perspective,
>it seems accurate. Ultimately the result is a loss of
>motivation.
>
>I'm glad Doug, aka Nostar, is around these days
>because Ardour needs someone to discover, report and
>request fixes.
>
>Maybe your reaction to this letter is "go blow
>yourself." Given what I imagine to be your own
>frustrations, I sure wouldn't blame you for responding
>that way.
>
>There's a couple more things I want to say to express
>my appreciation but I have to start my day.
>
>ron
>
>
>		
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>
>  
>
Not to make light of this...clearly you have issue(s)...

If Paul's response was indeed "go blow yourself", I for one would think 
the execution of that act alone would warrant noteworthy mention! And 
photographs??? :) Apart from that I will not speak for an individual 
whom is totally capable of responding himself...

I also saw your name mentioned on the Ardour.org contributors page in a 
very favorable light; I'm not a pro audio engineer for revenue purposes 
but I do let folks know when I think somethings broke! And MY name is 
not mentioned anywhere?? Is the magnitude of importance of a 
"Professional engineer" in this development stage of Ardour THAT much 
more important than say ...just us little people that use it in live 
performance settings for example? And additonally, I had not a clue who 
you where or what you did. In my mind, that mention put you on my 
map...for whatever thats worth. ( I may get a Million dollar grant one 
day and ask you to spend it all on recording with Ardour....you don't 
ever know)

I have always considered your comments and contributions here worthwhile 
and credible and your demeanor appears professional at the least...this, 
and forgive me if I misunderstand...I have just dealt with a major 
vehicle accident in the family and been up all night...seems to detract 
from that status...it is not my intent to judge.

Again, I am reminded of the awesome differences in Open source vs 
others. Here, because no ones getting paid, there is no "you owe me pay 
up son bitch" teeth to any circumstance so participants must deal 
diplomatically....sort of the United Nations of software if you will. :) 
Now it has been said the United Nations is next to useless...toothless, 
whatever. I don't think so. Why?? Because EVERYONES opinion should be 
considered important at some level so long as it's relevant to the topic 
at hand.

Just food for thought. I'm going to bed!!!

Sincerely,

R~