A Word On "Spoonfeeding"

I thought I might post a community definition of "spoonfeeding" in the hopes of making an impact on the community's idea of what sharing is. I don't want to appear high-and-mighty/all-knowing at all, but I do want to standardize the phrase so that we can actually have a reference for when sharing is and is not to be expected. This definition is non-binding, and I don't want it to be thrown in people's faces if they don't want to comply. This is just my idea of how we should behave towards one another in this section in order to progress.

When you can be "selfish"
When it's your own work.

If you've worked hard on an emulator and/or CMS, I don't think anyone should be obligated to share the entire product if they worked hard on it. Why is this? You have a compelling interest in keeping it, they don't have one in having it.

Take Habboon, for example. Sledmore has worked on the emulator there and has brought it pretty much up to speed to Habbo. Certainly, the community would benefit from its release, but the fact that it's unique to a select few hotels (I think just Habboon) makes the emulator an essential feature to that hotel's individuality.

Furthermore, if I asked Habboon for its catalog then that, too, would be asking for spoonfeeding. It's very possible for me to make my own, and I can even replicate the catalog.

When are you being unnecessarily selfish?
When not sharing an essential feature.

Continuing my point about the compelling interest, essential features present such an interest. One essential feature would be the database not included in an emulator release..

*ahem*

Why is this a compelling interest? Building the database by browsing through the code, or adding columns and tables as errors appear is stupid work. You have to guess the type, the ideal length, and not every emulator is well-written enough to give you proper notice and information.

Furthermore, there's no reason to not share it! This isn't a unique feature to your hotel, and you don't stand to gain anything by keeping it to yourself if you've constructed one. In fact, even if someone did end up doing this stupidly-tedious work, the end result would be exactly the same as your finished product.

Really, the problematic aspect of this is in the fact that you just generally don't feel like sharing. You have a right to keep it to yourself, but your exercise thereof should be expected to get frowned upon (as it should be, if essential enough).




Please give me feedback and elaboration on this. Again, if you do happen to agree, don't go on a hunt to attack people for their actions. Ultimately, it's their work and their choice to do as they please with their work, but I'd encourage the entire community to be more open to sharing. Don't be a dick about your work!

Its not only about releases, its also when people ask you to do certain shit (Which I get daily) even though they can do it on their own.

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Originally Posted by The General

Its not only about releases, its also when people ask you to do certain shit (Which I get daily) even though they can do it on their own.

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Yes but if someone asks you a question directly, there's more of an opportunity for dialogue and, therefore, room to communicate why they actually do or do not need help.

I agree with your post but I think that if the base software was open sourced and hotels just added unique features to that specific piece of open source software, then the community as a whole could benefit.

For example:

Wesley could finish his emulator and not release it and decide to make a hotel with it. However, it would benefit the community if he were to release it, and hotel owners who knew how to code took that software and added their own flavor to it, much like the Holograph Emulator days.

It's not so much the spoonfeeding that's a problem, it's the sense of entitlement all these new kids have they expect to have everything handed to them on a silver platter. Mostly because the kids in the new generations and upcoming generations have grown up with everything being available at all times, because they're bred to consume consume consume. It's not just retro kids, its most kids.

But it goes even further than that. In my time (jeez, i'm old) there were a lot more releases, and everything (apart from most VB6 servers) were open source. What do you see that is open source these days? Shit that is riddled with bugs and requires constant bug fixing and maintenance. Kids can't learn on bullshit software and that's why they expect those of us that can fix them, to fix them for free.

Honestly, and I've only really come to realise this lately is, we need to stop hoarding our shit.

Edit:

"Continuing my point about the compelling interest, essential features present such an interest. One essential feature would be the database not included in an emulator release.."

I have a feeling the above statement is aimed at me. I released a very large emulator, that I had spent the best part of 6 months working on. Open source. People who want to use it must have the skill to create the database if they wish to use it, because without those skills, how can you expect to run a hotel? Handing them the database and saying yeah, set it up in 5 mins and yo you have a hotel is just slack.

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Originally Posted by Jonteh

I agree with your post but I think that if the base software was open sourced and hotels just added unique features to that specific piece of open source software, then the community as a whole could benefit.

For example:

Wesley could finish his emulator and not release it and decide to make a hotel with it. However, it would benefit the community if he were to release it, and hotel owners who knew how to code took that software and added their own flavor to it, much like the Holograph Emulator days.

It's not so much the spoonfeeding that's a problem, it's the sense of entitlement all these new kids have they expect to have everything handed to them on a silver platter. Mostly because the kids in the new generations and upcoming generations have grown up with everything being available at all times, because they're bred to consume consume consume. It's not just retro kids, its most kids.

But it goes even further than that. In my time (jeez, i'm old) there were a lot more releases, and everything (apart from most VB6 servers) were open source. What do you see that is open source these days? Shit that is riddled with bugs and requires constant bug fixing and maintenance. Kids can't learn on bullshit software and that's why they expect those of us that can fix them, to fix them for free.

Honestly, and I've only really come to realise this lately is, we need to stop hoarding our shit.

Edit:

"Continuing my point about the compelling interest, essential features present such an interest. One essential feature would be the database not included in an emulator release.."

I have a feeling the above statement is aimed at me. I released a very large emulator, that I had spent the best part of 6 months working on. Open source. People who want to use it must have the skill to create the database if they wish to use it, because without those skills, how can you expect to run a hotel? Handing them the database and saying yeah, set it up in 5 mins and yo you have a hotel is just slack.

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Roleplay emulators have totally different schemas. It was aimed at that Kyle dude in your thread, though. I understand that you don't want to have to create an empty database for the emulator. Have someone figure it out.

People who venture to create the database and who refuse to release it, even though they feel so entitled to advertise that they've completed one, are dicks. Simple as that, man.

The term spoonfeeding actually is frustrating... whoever coined that phrase is a first class cunt.

Anyway it wouldn't be difficult to replicate any catalogue - withholding it from a determined individual won't do much but make their task a bit tougher in the sense they'd have to do it from scratch.

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Originally Posted by Bloodraven

The term spoonfeeding actually is frustrating... whoever coined that phrase is a first class cunt.

Anyway it wouldn't be difficult to replicate any catalogue - withholding it from a determined individual won't do much but make their task a bit tougher in the sense they'd have to do it from scratch.

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I bet MentaL could help us find the original user. Then we beat him up after class.

And, exactly. That's why it's not selfish to withhold it!

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Originally Posted by FullmetalPride

I bet MentaL could help us find the original user. Then we beat him up after class.

And, exactly. That's why it's not selfish to withhold it!

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A catalogue is on a completely different level than coded software. I don't think you can even compare the two when it comes to withholding.

Open source software can be used to learn from, as well as edit to create your own unique touch.

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Originally Posted by Jonteh

A catalogue is on a completely different level than coded software. I don't think you can even compare the two when it comes to withholding.

Open source software can be used to learn from, as well as edit to create your own unique touch.

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No no, you misunderstand. I'm saying that giving someone a catalog is as much 'spoonfeeding' as giving them an emulator! It's a finished product.

However, that's not to say that giving people catalogs is BAD. It truly does help people. What I'm saying is, when someone pops up on skype and says "Can you give me the catalog to your hotel?", nobody should fault you for refusing to give it to them, lol.

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Originally Posted by FullmetalPride

No no, you misunderstand. I'm saying that giving someone a catalog is as much 'spoonfeeding' as giving them an emulator! It's a finished product.

However, that's not to say that giving people catalogs is BAD. It truly does help people. What I'm saying is, when someone pops up on skype and says "Can you give me the catalog to your hotel?", nobody should fault you for refusing to give it to them, lol.

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Oh, I get what you're saying now. My bad.