I feel like a second-class citizen around developers. And I don't want to venture in to the lions den. After all, I "just make things pretty", right?

Thank you for giving me a jumping off point for one of the points I want to make (and please excuse the tirade, which has nothing to do with you).

I have a certificate in GIS. We were taught that a good map will be visually appealing in a way that makes other people comment on that appeal but a pretty map isn't necessarily a good map. A good map is one that present information effectively and efficiently. Doing this well gives you an attractive piece of work in the way some well-engineered thing has a certain visual appeal. In places where the GIS is done as a separate thing and is not properly integrated, the GIS department becomes a "map shop" and they become all about making pretty maps. And it's broken. It's a sign that something is very wrong.

Coders need to get over the idea that designers "just make things pretty". I saw an HGTV show where the stager talked about his goal of drawing people down the hall, past the icky kitchen and out to the amazing views of the main living area. That was the selling point but you had to get people to physically walk past and largely ignore less attractive features of the place. "First impressions" are big in real estate. So finding a means to get them to literally get past those items and get to the good thing was like making magic.

Coders need to understand that design is like that -- or good design is, at least. It can be. And it can add real value. And what I am not seeing in this discussion is where those two pieces meet -- where do the coders communicate their vision or design needs to the designer? I am not seeing that at all.

I think I have decent "taste" but I am not good at website design. I got free assistance from someone way more knowledgeable than I was. I got lots of free assistance for a time with every aspect of my websites from people who valued the content, never mind my many shortcomings. I had a falling out with the person who did the design work and we aren't friends anymore. I still give credit on my sites to their contribution. I try hard to thank anyone who has contributed.

I understand the idealism behind open source. And some stuff wouldn't be created any other way. But the tendency for open source/all volunteer stuff to be tainted with so much bitterness is part of why I am on HN and trying to figure out how to monetize what I do. I will monetize it or go do something else. People have benefited enormously from my unique understanding of some niche topics. People with extremely difficult problems who, in many cases, have been failed by all the paid experts they ever turned to. I don't know yet how to monetize it. To me, that is important. Other people get other types of benefit out of participating in various sorts of "free"/all volunteer projects/settings. Figure out what will benefit the designers. And if you do nothing else, thank them and give them credit. That goes a long way with a lot of people. If you can't figure out anything else to do, do at least that much. Be gracious about it. Being a dick is a good way to make sure people who gave just don't come back. And if you can't do that because you have grown bitter yourself, get the hell out of FOSS and do something you feel is more gratifying/satisfying. I stopped doing some of the stuff I used to do because I was bitter and everyone around me was way more bitter than I was. Downright bitchy and hostile in many cases. And I don't want to live that way. If I can't give it freely, graciously, and with an open heart, then you don't need me pissing in your cheerios. You can just go to Walmart or something and buy some piece of shit without the poison pill to go with it.

/soap box-rant-tirade thingy