Re: [boost] Re: New design proposal for boost::filesystem

From: Rob Stewart (stewart_at_[hidden])
Date: 2004-09-02 16:27:46

From: Carlo Wood <carlo_at_[hidden]>
> On Wed, Sep 01, 2004 at 10:12:41PM -0400, David Abrahams wrote:
> 
> > If you're going to say "never mind then" every time someone fails to
> > quickly grasp and accept your ideas, this is not an environment in
> > which you will be able to operate effectively.
> 
> Yes, yes... but it is not because I am irritated that I said that.
> I say it because the communication was already such non-effective
> (inefficient and fruitless) that it became below a certain threshold;
> I like to do things that are productive.  I can be very patient with
> say 15 y/o C++ newbies who just started to learn C++ (ie, on IRC) just
> as long as they clearly make progress, but when a professional C++ developer
> and maintainer of an important package doesn't read (and/or understands)
> posts about his very own package then that instantly irritates me -
> sorry, can't help it :).  I appologies for having displayed that though.

Communication is, by definition, a closed loop system.  When you
write something, you hope that the words you write adequately
capture the ideas in your head and that your reader(s) will infer
from those words your ideas.  If that breaks down, information
doesn't flow as intended.  So, the recipient counters, based upon
what may be a flawed understanding of what you wrote and meant.
That effort may be faulty, too, but assuming you understand what
the recipient wrote in response, you can clarify what you wrote.
Eventually, one hopes that the same ideas are shared.

You seem to have made the assumption that everyone reads with
rapt attention and total understanding what you've written, when
that is often not the case.  This is a busy list read by busy
people, so folks often skim -- to the deteriment of communication
at times, to be sure -- and miss important details.  I'm sure it
gets frustrating having to repeat yourself or find new ways to
express an idea, but that's the price one pays when being human
and dealing with other humans.

I hope you recognize that we're all busy, and yet that we are
interested in improving ourselves and the code in Boost.  No
slight was intended against you; reality just intervened.  Please
continue to do your best to be patient and look for areas of
confusion and ways to eliminate it.

-- 
Rob Stewart                           stewart_at_[hidden]
Software Engineer                     http://www.sig.com
Susquehanna International Group, LLP  using std::disclaimer;