[linux-elitists] When do you bail on a new free software/open source program?

[Shlomi Fish]

On Thursday 30 July 2009 01:30:52 Don Marti wrote:
> There's way too much free or open source software out
> there to actually try all of it, even the packages
> that look like they might be useful.
>
> So where do you lose interest in, or stop working
> with, a new program?
>

I lose interest at many of these stages depending on the program.

> 0. Read a whole web page or list posting about how
>    nifty it is.

That often happens. For example, I disagree with some of the program's design 
decisions or features (or lack of features).

>
> 1. Read some documentation (and, if it's a language
>    or library, a short code example.)

This may happen after I browse to the site.

>
> 2. Install a package or build from source.
>

Well, sometimes the build fails and I cannot be bothered to try to fix it, 
because the program is not that important to me. 

> 3. Configure the new software.
>

Well, I expect most software to work reasonably well without the need to 
configure it first. 

> 4. Do a small task with the new software (if it's
>    a language or library, writing a short program, or
>    adding basic support for it to an existing program)
>

Sometimes it happens there. Like the software crashes at this point, or emits 
a strange error, etc.

> 5. Do something useful with it.
>
> 6. Depend on it.

Sometimes I abandon a program that I used for a long while because I found a 
better alternative.

Regards,

	Shlomi Fish

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Shlomi Fish       http://www.shlomifish.org/
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