[vitd]

The author says:

"I accept that I cannot change anything with complaints."

I respectfully disagree as both a complainer and the implementer of things that people frequently complain about. Not everyone can fix what's wrong with their software (even when it's open source). Not everyone knows how or where to give feedback. Sometimes all you can do is complain publicly, hope others see it and help make the right people aware.

While I hate it when I write code that is broken or that people don't enjoy using, I need to know about it. I sometimes go to forums where our users help each other with our software. When I see complaints, I give the person a link where they can explain their problem or desire in detail. It's extremely helpful to us and to them.

Even if you don't reach the intended people with your complaint, saying it out loud can be incredibly liberating. It allows you to walk away from it. Just knowing that others are frustrated by the same issue makes you feel less alone.

I understand what it's like to be around people who are always negative. And I understand the posturing and snakiness in our field. I agree it needs work. (Was that a complaint?) But it does serve a very important set of purposes.