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Linux file system developer: we're severely under-resourced (lore.kernel.org)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I've said this previously, and I'll say it again: we're severely under-resourced. Not just XFS, the whole fsdevel community. As a developer and later a maintainer, I've learnt the hard way that there is a very large amount of non-coding work is necessary to build a good filesystem. There's enough not-really-coding work for several people. Instead, we lean hard on maintainers to do all that work. That might've worked acceptably for the first 20 years, but it doesn't now.

[…]

Dave and I are both burned out. I'm not sure Dave ever got past the 2017 burnout that lead to his resignation. Remarkably, he's still around. Is this (extended burnout) where I want to be in 2024? 2030? Hell no.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 year ago (2 children)

that second part is exactly why there is a lack of hci work in the linux space. Hci is a specialty, just like coding is. The standard ask of "create a pr with the code" is asking peopae who don't typically code to do so, in addition to doing the work of researching the problm, designing a solution, and then testing that solution for suitability.

Since the only mechanism most open source projects have for accepting contribution is code, and the ask is usually for code, there is never even an opportunity to submit design work.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 year ago

I think most of the time if they have a Github/Gitlab repo open to the public opening issues, they will accept an issue that merely describes a problem that needs to be fixed along with how it might be fixed.

Something like this is generally appreciated:

I'm an HCI expert and ____ should be improved to do ____ because of ____. I'm willing to volunteer to do design work on this to help the project out

...and if the maintainers ask for contact info, provide it and there you go.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

there is never even an opportunity to submit design work.

nowadays, design work is code (or at least markup). Like .qml or .glade or even html/css.

is asking people who don't typically code to do so

encounter a problem and learning a new tool to solve it, is a pretty standard situation in IT. Designers have varying capabilities in that domain. While a print designer might have trouble learning a new software, a MMI-Architect or UI Designer should commonly be able to learn a new UI framework (designer software).

Generally, if you like to contribute to any project (not limited to software), you can't expect the project to adapt to your toolset.

But often it's enough to share an idea for it to get adapted.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Sure, you can pr the design files, but thats not how the messaging comes across. Even the "how to contribute" for most projects, if they have one, is usually entirely technical. The majority of designers (not all) I have worked with have been very shy about technical work, so having no clear "non-technical" contribution pathway is a deterent.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

you can start by opening an issue, sharing your idea, uploading drafts etc. like I mentioned.

is usually entirely technical.

because what you wish contributing to is a technical matter. You can't modify airplane design without a single clue on aerodynamics. Same with software.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Design of UX is a separate craft from programing, to follow your own analogy, you don't need to know electrical engineering to design an airplane control panel

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

you don't need to know electrical engineering to design an airplane control panel

lol, of course you do. and A LOT more. Hence it's usually done by a team of experts. Pilots, eengineers, manufacturing, regulation/standards, safety,...

UX is just one of many parts of the expertise needed. same in software.

What you're claiming is wishful thinking that has nothing to do with real world workflows. I also don't know a single UI designer having the troubles you are pointing out.

The majority of designers (not all) I have worked with have been very shy about technical work, so having no clear "non-technical" contribution pathway is a deterent.

That's the difference between designer and UI Designer. Just because you can draw an UI with your favourite tool, doesn't make you an UI design expert.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I feel like, with this reply, you are willfully glossing over my point. The issue at hand is that open source software is short on the ux design expertise. My claim is that by centering the programing expertise, and in fact by not going out of the way to be inviting to the non-programming expertise, open source projects are self-perpetuating these cycles.

We can find ways to invite good designers in, or we can continue with the "sufficient" design ost projects currently have.

I'm happy if people have ather strategies for overcoming the current problem, but the current aproach is not doing it