I really sympathize and have had similar experiences so I don't feel out of line when I say: it boils down to your own fault. I know about the pressure and the "stone soup" situations and the fear of looking like a jerk or you don't care if you don't sink 5 evenings into helping someone who can't be bothered to read your explanations but the beauty of open source is freedom. Freedom can be messy and even adversarial but we are free to set our rates and if a "thank you" isn't enough payment, don't take the job.

(I sincerely wish I could follow my own advice. And you should remember that the thank yous can add up in the old Karma bank. The person you helped might end up on a hiring committee someday when you're looking for work or be available as a reference, etc, etc. The open source world can be a small one and in my experience your good behavior and attitude in it come back to you.)


In reply to Re: Sometimes, just saying "Thank You" is not good enough by Your Mother
in thread Sometimes, just saying "Thank You" is not good enough by Anonymous Monk

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