Re: Something off my chest about Boost

From: Hans Dembinski (hans.dembinski_at_[hidden])
Date: 2019-07-18 10:18:11

> On 17. Jul 2019, at 21:34, Mateusz Loskot via Boost <boost_at_[hidden]> wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 17 Jul 2019 at 19:50, Maarten Verhage via Boost
> <boost_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>> 
>> Thank you all for sharing your thoughts about documentation. I admit I've
>> not much experience with other libraries. Good to hear that more recent
>> library docs are considered better.
>> 
>> I have sent a private email to Michael Caisse and Joel de Guzman (X3 author)
>> for what I think are improvements for the documentation.
> 
> IMHO, I'd be careful about using private channels for communication regarding
> open source projects. Don't be surprised if your message will go to /dev/null.
> 
> Open source projects have issue trackers, mailing lists and other *public*
> *opt-in* channels which, IMHO, are the right ways to direct a project-specific
> communication.

To add to Mateusz: by sending your criticism privately you remove the opportunity for others to work on this issue. Maybe the maintainer of the library has no time to do it, but someone else feels like giving it a shot. Issues need to be public.

It is also a sudden change in your attitude, Maarten. You started this thread with a public criticism about the quality of "the Boost docs", and now you prefer to send your comments for specific improvements privately?

I think all Boost authors can handle public criticism, especially if it is written in a respectful and constructive way. If they disagree strongly with you, a maintainer can always just delete the issue.