From: Tapio Kelloniemi <spammi.helevetti_at_nbl.fi>
Date: Fri, 8 Jun 2007 10:33:21 +0300

On Thu, Jun 07, 2007 at 11:59:20PM +0200, Linus Nielsen Feltzing wrote:
> The file format is not the problem. The implementation in the Rockbox
> code is. And handling all the support questions from users who don't
> know how to use this feature.
>
> The most difficult problem is that not all button combinations are
> possible. For example, on the iriver H100 series, only the ON button can
> be combined with any other button. This means that we will be flooded
> with questions about why, for example, MENU+UP doesn't work.

MENU+UP = ...
ERROR: Invalid key combination, see Manual for details.

And since the file format must be described in the manual, readers cannot
miss the note: "You can only combine the ON button with others due to hardware
limitations." After this, an answer to all questions can be "please read the
manual".

In fact I see no huge benefits in implementing this feature with currently
available Rockbox features, except to those who use a lot of plugins. However,
new features could be added, like: speak_time, speak_battery_status,
speak_song_info, select_eq_preset, activate_backlight,
crossfade_to_currently_selected_song, et cetra, the benefits would be
gigantic. I think that if we would add even one of these commands, we couldn't
all agree on the key bingding...

Another way to limit the amount of support requests would be to make this a
patch which everyone can apply, not very fair IMHO.

I have developed software and know very well that some people think that
developers have lots of time answering questions that all have been answered
already. I also have read the rockbox lists for some time, and see that this
problem is here as well. It shouldn't, however, IMHO, stop developers, if they
find an optional feature to be useful to themselves or to other users, who
read docs before asking.

For example the battery capacity setting should be removed, as it makes some
people think that it may be used to increase battery life time. People who can
replace the battery can very well modify a single constant in the code.

-- 
Tapio

Received on 2007-06-08