[Thanatos]

You know...its all really kinda funny.

I'm one of those 99% here. I'm a nobody when it comes to coding. I bought books, read through them, but just don't 'get it'. I can hack around with code a bit to make it work with my forums or so I can figure out where stuff is broken so I can come back here and search for the problem or plead for help in fixing it.

All of you people who code just amaze me. I'm not a dumb fellow, I set up advanced networks, configure routers and firewalls, set up custom routing solutions for load balancing, build networks from the computers up...but I simlpy lack that creative spark that lets me code something cool. I come here and read the hacks that people come up with and post and am just amazed. I don't use them all, but I use like 4 pages worth of y'alls codes on my forums.

Now, that being said, as a generalization, all of us who can't code here have gotten a bit of the cold shoulder before and become frustrated over it. Being told to go learn coding for yourself just isn't helpful (and yeah, I've been told that before, especially in the older days). I'm very appreciative of some of the ways this foum has changed, where its become easier to get "plugins" for our forums and how its become modular so if something breaks, we can troubleshoot easier by turning all the plugins off and then on one at a time to figure out which two don't play nice. I've noticed as well, that because of this, stuff has gotten fixed or made more compatible more quickly and I see fewer of the posts where people are told to go figure it out themselves.

I think that sometimes, all you people forget what its like to be on the bottom of the barrel and reliant on someone elses talents. Yes, we paid for a commercial product -- but alot of us paid because we came here and saw YOU guys and gals and your code releases.

I've paid for some people to help me fix stuff before and paid for a code addon or two, but I'd just move away to a free product if everyone started charging for their hacks -- there are too many nice and competitive alternatives these days in the free side, then to have to put up with everyone getting upset and taking their toys and going home. You coders make vbulletin worth the money and when you leave the community, you not only hurt yourselves (because fewer people will end up supporting paid hacks in the long run), but you hurt others in the long run -- the ones at the mercy of your missing or now commercialized talent (and that goes for anyone who releases cool code, not just the master coders or the coding staff).

And for the record, I have helped a bit here and there when I could, but its rare that I can, I'm not 100% a leech just mostly one. But I appreciate all of you guys. I also know that the people here have their hands ultimately tied down by the people over at vb.com and they aren't the most receptive to change and new ideas....but I've been here a long time, like alot of you and I have seen alot of changes...I have seen them eventually concede and change a few things here.

So, from someone not inbroiled in the politics around here, here's my 2 coppers worth. Stop threating to take your ball away and go home...its not an us vs them, be that coders vs non-coders, staff vs members or anything else...if there is going to be improvment here, the staff and the lead members of the community all need to put aside differences and see if things can be worked out and improved, and if someone's hands are tied, stick it on the table for review in 6 months...Everyone's just too passionate about all of this and all that does is making working out dreary details difficult.

Well, thanks for listening.