Thread:Extension talk:SemanticExtraSpecialProperties/Convert to patch for SMW?/reply (7)

I strongly disagree with you, and I am offended. I do testing, bug reports, develop new applications for existing code, answer user questions (on several different mailing lists, forums, IRC, etc), write documentation, aggregate requested enhancements, participate in enhancement design, and more, in addition to my contributions to other WikiMedia Foundation projects. I also contribute to other charities that are not part of the WikiMedia Foundation, which you are probably not aware of.

Although I would like to contribute code to WikiMedia Foundation projects, I have limited time, and I am already contributing nearly all of my available time and money to WikiMedia Foundation, and other charitable organizations. In addition, I am not a programmer. I have the ability to become one, but it's going to take a while. It took me about a year of focused dedication just to learn the basics of MediaWiki, bug testing, etc., well enough to contribute what I am contributing now.

For you to tell me my contributions are not meaningful is disrespectful, and offensive. I hope you don't drive other volunteers out of the WikiMedia Foundation that way. Don't worry about me, though. You are not the first one to do that to me, and I have a short memory about such things, so I'll probably forget about it by tomorrow.

Did you know that I helped organize English Wikipedia's SOPA/PIPA protest? I feel like I need to put together a sort of WMF resume of credentials to deflect random, pointless criticism. I feel like I need to watch out for others who might be attacked by the same kind of thing. Some talented programmers have arrogant disdain for anyone who's not a programmer, or who is less talented than they are.

I contribute to the charities I'm interested in an anonymous, or pseudonymous fashion. You will never know the true extent of my contributions, and that's how I like it. I get to see people's true colors when they think I'm nobody. Just because you think you've been contributing longer than I have, and/or in a different way than I have, does not make you better than me, and certainly does not give you a license to insult me or demean my contributions.

Don't do that to anyone else, either. I'll forget about this by tomorrow, but I will still be paying attention.

By the way, did I report a bug against some of your code? I've noticed some people get upset for some reason when that happens. I call it "shooting the messenger". If that's what has provoked you to insult me here, I apologize. I do mean well when I test for, and report bugs. I'm not trying to upset you.