Thank You Very Much

[Hal V. <ha...@th...>]

Recently I set up a home theater system as a reward to myself for 
building up a small business to the point where it runs itself.  The 
downside was having 5 remote controls to it.  I considered an 
all-in-one, but didn't like the prices and thought they were just WAY 
overpriced.  Then I remembered LIRC.

I've worked with open source projects before and have a strong 
commitment to FOSS.  I could not have even started my business without 
FOSS and the only software I use in my business that isn't FOSS is Java 
(well some would now consider Java FOSS, some would not).  Along the 
way I've contributed to FOSS projects along the way and I've done a few 
of my own.  One is a control program for an HD radio that can connect 
by either the serial port or USB, so that is not unlike LIRC in some 
ways.

Since I got past my startup troubles with the business, when I find FOSS 
programs that I can use and contribute to, I like to help with code 
when I can and at the very least, figure out how much that project 
saved me and contribute at least half of that.  (Sometimes it saves me 
$500, so I can contribute that, sometimes it saves me a few grand, so I 
may only contribute half of that total.)  Bottom line: I LIKE TO 
SUPPORT FOSS.  I've even made sure I have certain FOSS projects in my 
trust/will so I can help them even after I'm pushing up daisies.

I would rather take a few days to write a program to add what I need to 
a FOSS project than buy something off the shelf, be it hardware or 
software.

When I looked at universal remotes, I figured it'd be at least $300 to 
get one that behaved like I wanted.  Instead of wasting time browsing 
through manuals for remotes, I figured I'd use my entertainment box 
with LIRC and setup my own remote.

I won't be doing that anymore.  I had a neat and simple Perl app that I 
could run through ssh on my Nokia 770.  It would, when done, have a 
number of different tab panes and on each tab pane the user could 
define the size and placement of their buttons, along with the text or 
icon to use on the button and also define what remote functions that 
button would provide.  Unlike most universal remotes, it would not 
require selecting the component to send commands.  The user could have 
the buttons for commands they use most often on one tab pane and use 
them no matter which component they controlled.

To do that I needed help from people in  the LIRC project or on this 
mailing list.  I've been trying to work out what I can, but sometimes 
it takes me a while to catch on, due in part to a learning disability.

My first request for help from the project went unanswered for over a 
week.  I've been on many FOSS mailing lists and when I've seen that, 
the original sender often says, "So are you guys going to help or is 
this a private club?"  Usually they're ruder than that and everyone 
says, "If you were nice to us, we'd be more likely to help," but the 
irony is that when they were nice, they were ignored.  When they were 
rude, they got their help.

Why?

I don't know.  I don't care.  My first request went a week without a 
response.  Then I ask what's wrong and I do get a response that 
includes some useful info, but when I asked about recommendations for 
*transceivers* people have used with LIRC that have done well, I get a 
suggestion for a remote -- not at all what I need and from the context 
of my email, I think that was clear.

So I go out and buy a transceiver, one that looks good, the maker is 
good at responding to me when I ask questions.  Unlike on this list, 
when I ask him a question I get an answer.  I order the USB-UIRT, which 
I think is a good product then find out there's a bug in the Linux 
kernel modules that create problems with this product.  Okay, if I had 
Googled the correct words, I could have found it, but it didn't turn up 
in my research and there was nothing on the LIRC site to indicate any 
problem with this device.

Again I ask for help, specifically if there is a way to specify the 
device and driver in a conf file.  I get an answer which 
includes, "Most of the answer to your questions are found in the irsend 
manpage."  Actually, that is not true, the irsend manpage is quite 
sparse.  There are some good points, but at the end I'm still not sure 
just how I can specify the device and driver in a conf file.

I blunder through, install a new version of Ubuntu on a system I was 
soon going to put away anyway.  I test it out and find that the codes I 
get when trying to define a remote are not the same as the ones in that 
remote's definition on the LIRC project.  I've asked about that and I'm 
still waiting for an answer.

Then last night I ask about delays I see with irsend.  Okay, less than 
24 hours, but I don't expect any help on that, since it seems S.O.P. on 
this list.

I have at least 5 remotes, including the one kept in my study, that 
don't seem to be in your database or, if they are, not all the buttons 
are included.  I was going to create conf files and upload them.  I was 
working on the GUI for a Perl frontend for Internet tablets like my 
N770.  And, when all was done and I got it working, as always, I was 
going to contribute to LIRC financially.

Okay, I'm just one person.  I know you guys are pretty important.  
You've got stuff included in the Linux kernel, you're more worried 
about the deep and fascinating technical issues than helping a newbie 
who wants to learn and later contribute.  I'm just one person.

But I'm no longer a person who has anywhere near a positive thought in 
my head about LIRC.  Instead of contributing, I just called 
Crutchfield, ordered two remotes and the blaster that comes with them 
for about $210 including shipping.  I won't need to use my Internet 
tablet now and won't need LIRC.

I don't mind wading through things to get a program written.  Swimming 
upstream and fighting to get the info you need is part of programming. 

But I'll be damned if I'm going to fight a bunch of people on a mailing 
list who I know have the answers I need but just don't have the time, 
effort, or courtesy, to answer questions from a newbie.  I've got other 
things to do in my life.  I have a yard I like working in, I have 
woodworking projects to do, I'm an award winning competitive tango 
dancer who needs to practice, and I have scripts to write for a small 
production company I'm starting.  

I don't have time to fight you, this group, for answers if I'm going to 
do any coding.  I have too many other things to do.  I'll just either 
keep working with projects I have contributed to or find new ones, but 
I'm not going to stick with LIRC because I don't get answers on this 
list.

I've seen emails like this on mailing lists before.  Usually they're 
quite rude.  People find every way to blame the poster instead of 
saying, "Hey, here's someone that could have added to the project with 
code and cash.  What could WE have done differently so they're not 
leaving in a huff?"  The answer is simple: ANSWER MY QUESTIONS!  That's 
all that was needed!

I'm doing you a favor!  Instead of just saying F--- You!  I'm 
saying, "This is a problem.  I wanted to contribute, but instead, I'm 
just spending money on a simple fix instead.  Here's what drove me 
away."  I know I'm inconsequential in many ways, but I could have 
contributed code and funds.  Sure, I know a few hundred isn't much for 
a project that does the fancy stuff you guys do, but it wouldn't have 
taken much for me to have contributed enthusiastically to LIRC instead 
of deciding that those involved don't care enough about users and 
newbies to make it worth my time to get involved.

My decision is made, you can criticize me all you want and call me 
names, but the bottom line is all I wanted were some answers.  I've 
never had a FOSS project prove so hard to join or work with or 
contribute to or so reluctant to help a newbie with answers to his 
questions that would help him get involved.

You can blame me, say I didn't ask the right questions, or say I didn't 
search in the right pages, but a project like LIRC is complex and hard 
to get up to speed with for some people.  I'm sure you'd rather take 
the easy route and put it all on me than take any time to realize that 
some simple actions on your part, as knowledgeable list members, would 
have made a big difference.  When people here have the chance to help 
someone new, it's clear they don't have the time for them.

So it's only appropriate a new person, eager to help, should decide he 
doesn't have the time for LIRC.

Thank you very much for the lack of answers and help.  My remote arrives 
tomorrow and there's no reason for me to ever give a damn about LIRC 
and fighting to get answers here again.  I'm sorry it had to be that 
way.

Hal