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Open source devs: please, please add screenshots... (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I beg you, if you are a developer of an open source app or program - add screenshots of your app to the README file. When looking for the perfect app, I had to install dozens of them just to see what the user interface looked like and whether it suits me. This will allow users to decide if the app they choose will suit them... Please, don't think about it, just do it....

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[–] southsamurai 28 points 1 year ago (3 children)

There's both an ignorance and fear barrier to that.

A lot of people don't know they can, and don't know how. And even the ones that do know, often worry their contributions would be shit.

And there's folks that just don't think the project would accept that kind of submission.

I'm not contradicting your suggestion! It's a great thing to let people know that they can contribute without knowing how to code. Just adding in both an explanation as to why it's so rare, and hopefully allaying some of those worries for passersby.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think it depends on the project. Some projects are the author's personal tools that they've put online in the off-chance it will be useful to others, not projects they are really trying to promote.

I don't think we should expect that authors of repos go too out of their way in those cases as the alternative would just be not to publish them at all.

[–] southsamurai 2 points 1 year ago

Totally agree

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

What if I do a PR for a program that isn't even related to Linux and Linus still sniffs it out to tell me I'm a dingus :(

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

NGL I actually didn't know that I can do such a thing. I do still kinda have a closed source mindset in that anything I use I cannot change or Influence. Like I knew that other people can do that but I didn't know I can do that

[–] southsamurai 2 points 1 year ago

Yeah, it's a thing :)

I've only done it once, and it wasn't pictures, it was rewriting a horrible section about how to install a program my cousin was trying to build. He abandoned it three months later, but still.

From what I've heard from people that code, it's polite to approach whoever is maintaining the project before jumping in, and it makes sense so that nobody wastes resources on something that isn't going to get used.