[Rd] mapply() gives seg fault (PR#8332)

[François Pinard]

[Peter Dalgaard]

> Looks like Brian already fixed it in r-patched.  Seems like this was 
> after your message, so I'd better skip the snide remark about how to 
> be an even better citizen.... ;-)

:-).  Yet, there are limits to perfection!  I maintained some software 
for many, many years, and witnessed a change in mentalities over time, 
not always to my pleasure.  There was a time when user reports,
would they be about programming bugs, documentation weaknesses, or mere 
suggestions, were received as worth contributions, deserving a friendly 
replies.  Nowadays, some maintainers went ferocious, putting no end to 
the flurry of bug trackers, wikis, chat rooms, reviewing committees, Web 
forms, they want us to learn and go by, each maintainer his own set.

While I understand and appreciate that maintainers' time is precious, 
mine is not totally insignificant.  Some equilibrium, common sense and 
civility is needed!  I would dare a spurious report, if I guess it would 
take no more than a few dozen seconds to cross-check at the other end, 
if this spares me hours of learning or preparation.  The alternative is 
either being shy to the point of not contributing, or else, embracing 
only very few software packages as if they were jealous religions.

The R developers group seems reasonable so far that I could see, for the 
year or so I've been reading the exchanges.  A few gurus regularly do 
remind others about posting guidelines, and the need of prior research.  
Despite some are a bit stiff at times, they always acted with civility.

-- 
François Pinard   http://pinard.progiciels-bpi.ca