Stroking your ego (at others' expense)

I generally keep busy with work, community-building, exercise, and family time, so I really don't write here nearly enough. Sadly, today is an exceptional day, but not for the right reasons. I will be calling out an example of what I consider toxic behavior.

Context

Some time ago, I was looking at the Django website's source code, and realized that, as of December 2024, the README mentioned using docker-compose for local development, which has not been relevant for a year and a half, if not four.

From July 2023 Compose V1 stopped receiving updates. It’s also no longer available in new releases of Docker Desktop.

Compose V2, which was first released in 2020, is included with all currently supported versions of Docker Desktop. It offers an improved CLI experience, improved build performance with BuildKit, and continued new-feature development. [01]

Admittedly, this is a minor documentation change, but I was still excited to submit my first pull request to one of the Django repositories.

Then I made a mistake.

I shared my thoughts publicly while the Django website was being discussed, and requested the opportunity to improve the documentation.

Sure enough, someone with more experience contributing took my idea, and promptly opened a PR with it. When I pointed out that was rude, their only response was a GIF, so I guess we can add "condescending" to their list of qualities.

So, what's the problem?

Of course, open-source software is built by volunteers, and everyone is free to open PRs. However, I still find this behavior toxic for a few reasons.

• Taking credit for someone else's suggestions to stroke your own ego is just plain rude.
• By trying to beat others to the PR, when they have already offered to take charge, for an issue you hadn't considered a problem prior to them reporting it, you actively discourage others from contributing. Contributing to OSS is hard, so putting more roadblocks in front of potential new contributors is only a good way to make them want to give up, rather than encouraging them to participate.
• It hinders healthy discussion. How can you dare publicly suggest anything you would like to work on, if your words will be used to prevent you from doing said work?
• To my mind, preventing others from participating in its development is contrary to Django's Code of Conduct, which states "Be welcoming. We aim to be a community that welcomes and supports people[...]", and what can be less supportive than making them feel they do not have the right to contribute?
• It shows you are not a team player, and is IMO, unprofessional.

What next?

First of all, my opinion of the person who went ahead and took my idea plummeted dramatically, and I lost all interest in any potential collaboration with them. How can you collaborate with someone who does not believe in such a concept? How can you trust someone who works for their own self-interest, rather than for the good of the community?

Second of all, I still have a couple of improvements in mind that I will contribute when time allows. Just don't ask me what they are ;)

Finally, I will need to rethink the way I communicate my ideas with others, and consider who is worthy of my trust more carefully, going forward, and pay particular attention when people behave in such a way, regardless whether I am the recipient or not.

Maybe I'm just more bitter than usual, due to the first week of December always being difficult, and it being flu season again. Maybe somebody reads this, and is more considerate of other contributors going forward. After all, we get the community we build, and deserve.

Sources

• [01] Migrate to Compose V2