Death threats directed at me.

[tschak909]

Okay guys, we gotta talk.

I'm starting to recieve these, so I thought i'd confront everyone.

First,

I work on this project in my volunteered spare time. I am not a paid employee of any organization who currently has commercial interests in the code. I code, and do support on this system because I love it with a passion that exceeds the understanding of most rational human beings.

I have very strong opinions. These are based both in fact and experience, and I do push them in order to show users the smoothest most featureful experience with this system. I have spent almost every waking moment when I am not at work, on this system, and I know what works, and what doesn't work.

I have a tendency at times to decide to completely scrap my diplomatic tone, and head straight for a painfully honest response. I know this offends some people. I'm sorry, but I am merely trying to help, believe it or not.

But what I DO NOT appreciate...are the emails I get from anonymous sources, from different people, with bodies containing lines ranging from "Drop dead, you arrogant bastard." to "I should kill you so that you never spawn."

Guys, If you're going to confront me. Do it to my face, so that at least I can defend myself. Don't be a coward and do it behind a lead wall.

I've spent way too much time on this project, at the expense of my health, to have this shit happen.

-Thom

[jgaffney]

tschak909,
Honestly,  I'm sorry you have to put up with that.  I wouldn't want my worst enemy to have to deal with that.

You're not even the worst one out here, which is my whole point about the tone of these forums.

[totallymaxed]

Okay guys, we gotta talk.

I'm starting to recieve these, so I thought i'd confront everyone.

First,

I work on this project in my volunteered spare time. I am not a paid employee of any organization who currently has commercial interests in the code. I code, and do support on this system because I love it with a passion that exceeds the understanding of most rational human beings.

I have very strong opinions. These are based both in fact and experience, and I do push them in order to show users the smoothest most featureful experience with this system. I have spent almost every waking moment when I am not at work, on this system, and I know what works, and what doesn't work.

I have a tendency at times to decide to completely scrap my diplomatic tone, and head straight for a painfully honest response. I know this offends some people. I'm sorry, but I am merely trying to help, believe it or not.

But what I DO NOT appreciate...are the emails I get from anonymous sources, from different people, with bodies containing lines ranging from "Drop dead, you arrogant bastard." to "I should kill you so that you never spawn."

Guys, If you're going to confront me. Do it to my face, so that at least I can defend myself. Don't be a coward and do it behind a lead wall.

I've spent way too much time on this project, at the expense of my health, to have this shit happen.

-Thom

Thom,

Emails of this kind are simply unacceptable and every forum member should stand up and be counted on this issue - a message of this kind is an afront to all of us here and we all need to state categorically that this is the case.

Anyone who participates in this Forum and acts inappropriately by sending this kind of offensive material to others should realise that it is as if that material was sent to us all.

Andrew

[itspac]

seriously, If you have to send death threats and off the wall emails, go find yourself another piece of software.

[golgoj4]

This is wrong on every level. I hope the people who feel this crap is 'ok' re-evaluate their actions. Its totally uncalled for.

[freymann]

I agree that these death threats are highly unwarranted! This behaviour is definitely unacceptable.

Life is full of choices. If you don't like LMCE that's fine, go use some other solution and all the more power to you. There's no need to threaten anybody involved with the project or involved in the forums.

These death threats are most likely a result of the recent tone of some posts in the forums, and if anything, I hope that makes all the members of our community sit back and rethink how they act here. It's terribly easy to offend using the written word. Many times it's better to say nothing or if responding to somebody's message makes you feel mad, then perhaps you should sit back and see if somebody else will respond.

The forums should be a friendly place, let's all try to ensure they are, and definitely the last thing any of the developers need is to be treated with such a high level of disregard as to receive death threats! That is definitely the lowest of low.

[skeptic]

I have very strong opinions. These are based both in fact and experience, and I do push them in order to show users the smoothest most featureful experience with this system.

I have a tendency at times to decide to completely scrap my diplomatic tone, and head straight for a painfully honest response. I know this offends some people. I'm sorry, but I am merely trying to help, believe it or not.

You and I have butted heads over your "this is the way it has to be done to be right" attidude vs. my "it's not the LMCE designed way, but if you know the limitations my way works"  attitude.  In the end I have nothing but respect for you and what you have put into this project.  I have some pretty thick skin and don't let e-arguments bother me but put enough people behind a computer screen and you're going to run into whiney cowards.  It's complete BS that you have to put up with that crap, especially after all the work and time you put into this project. 

IMHO, nobody on this board should have to put up with e-mails like you are getting.  Unfortunately the sad fact is threads like "Other media centers" that degenerate to insults and name calling on all sides are going to bring out the anonymous e-tough-guys.

[sp00nhead]

man, that's uncool. really uncool.

[maybeoneday]

[/quote]

Thom,

Emails of this kind are simply unacceptable and every forum member should stand up and be counted on this issue - a message of this kind is an afront to all of us here and we all need to state categorically that this is the case.

Anyone who participates in this Forum and acts inappropriately by sending this kind of offensive material to others should realise that it is as if that material was sent to us all.

Andrew
[/quote]

Totally agree,

regards,
Ian

[MarcoZan]

When I read the topic subject I was thinking of another "colorful" way of Thom to describe some strange coding attitude ... unfortunately the story is different.

As we use to say, mothers of the idiots are always pregnant ...

Thom, for sure you're definitely not the most diplomatic guy I ever met (even if sometimes taking it a little easy wouldn't be so bad), but I prefer BY FAR a slap in the face than a stab in my back.

So keep doing it your way.

Full speed ahead
Marco

[johanr]

It really hurts to hear that someone just can't try to understand the amount of time that is put into this. I have read posts and responses that yes they may have been abit to abrubt or to direct (the questions has not been very elegantly put either....)

 But that's only natural since all that energy that is put into this and all the thinking behind it makes this Project (ok if I call it that?) comes very close to your hearts.
Then hearing whining about "why is this not like that" all the time, when you're tired since you haven't slept full nights just to get That thing working to the next release..
 That can make even the Hardcore diplomat skip the BS and go right to the case.

How hard can that be to understand? and we don't even pay anything for you guys to do the work you do so why even bother sending such emails. Yes you as a sender may have become offended in some way but we all cannot share the same view on things, it's what we do about the difference of perception that really counts. That's what keep a project like this evolving, if you think something is crap, well do it better yourself! simple as is..

 This is serious and I hope you report it. Thank you for sharing!

 I think we all have an obligation to interrupt if we see things go wrong and to personal in threads. It should not come to this...

-johan

[tschak909]

Honestly, I wanted the rest of you guys to know. Other than that, I'm not really doing anything.

The thing that got me the most was this last guy was sending a post from an email service that I couldn't reply back to! The mail bounced. How cowardly!

The first thing that went through my mind was really, "What did we do to deserve this?"

-Thom

[johanr]

Honestly, I wanted the rest of you guys to know. Other than that, I'm not really doing anything.

Ok, that's up to you and probarbly for the best. but still..

The first thing that went through my mind was really, "What did we do to deserve this?"

well to answer your question.
1. You should never have spread the improvements and knowledge of yours..
2. You should never even have registred on this forum.. then use your freetime to help. How rudly.
3. You should have started a company, selling the above mentioned instead.

(to those of you not understanding the above, that was intended as a joke to lighten up the thread abit)
sorry for the OT
-johan

[colinjones]

Totally unacceptable, Thom! Yes, things can get heated at time. Even insulting, but this person should grow up and realise that it is a disagreement nothing more. And certainly not deserving of what is in all probability an illegal email. Can I suggest that you take a look at the SMTP headers and determine the sending mail gateway. From the DNS or IP we can track it back to a service provider and report it to their abuse mailbox. They can track down the account very easily from the MTS-ID...

Col

[enrique.lopez]

it is possible that the mails are sent by someone you want to stop developing the project?