Curious Canid

I feel weird if I go to the kitchen and don’t have a phone with me. Then again, I’m weird, so having a phone with me may not be the issue.

VLC has been versatile, reliable, and available across platforms for a long time now. I use it for the simplicity of having a familiar and ready solution.

I think people have already done a god job of covering the likely concerns. Here are the things I would emphasize.

Bear in mind that a lot of developers just hate doing documentation. :-}

Make sure that their management has made working with you a part of the engineers’ work load and goals. No one is going to provide good information when every minute they spend is putting them behind on things that directly affect their careers.

Provide them with a context for what you are trying to accomplish. Tell them the why and how, not just the what. That information can be very general or it can be at the level of providing specific examples of how you intend to present the information you gather. Find out what they would like to know, particularly since it’s likely to vary from person to person.

Keep in mind how different people can be. There are reasons for the stereotypes about developers, but their are pointy ends on every bell curve. You are likely to find a few people who communicate very well and can help you get the information you need from those who do not.

You sound like you have good intentions and the skill set for doing this kind of work. Don’t let negative responses discourage you. Work with the people you have, treat them with respect, and make sure they get credit for the work they do with you. Let them see what you’re doing and ask for feedback. There are going to be things you can’t control in the process, but if you work openly and in good faith people will usually respond in kind.

This can certainly happen on Lemmy. And you can bypass it by setting up yourself and your communities on a different instance with more reasonable rules.

Lemmy can’t change human nature. It does not restrict bad behavior. It offers alternatives. Everyone gets to choose among instances and communities. The hope is that people will shift away from the ones that become toxic when better options are always available. It tends to be a gradual process, but I think it is working.