[Cin] "CinGG Summer of Code" Ernest Ibarra disappointment/failure

[Rob Prowel]

On 4/13/23 20:57, Andrew Randrianasulu via Cin wrote:
>>> Last summer I put out an ad for a 10 week CinGG summer of code with the
>>> title of "Linux / C++ beginner / student" with an enticement of $400 each
>>> week for compiling, execution of well outlined steps, and make mods to the
>>> "burn" plugin to just add the gui variables.  I thought someone might like
>>> the challenge and could put in a few hours each week (before and after
>>> "aging" plugin gui mods would serve as a guideline).
>>>
>>> Response from Ernest Ibarra was "he was interested" and had a "Mac Pro
>>> with Ubuntu and also had 3 years of C++ knowledge". Pointed him to the
>>> Manual on how to build CinGG and he sent me a screenshot showing a built
>>> version.  So I assumed he was able to do a build which would mean he had to
>>> have done a compile??
>>>
>>> Ibarra was paid $400 a week for 4 weeks just to experiment with coding
>>> but by the end of the 4th week he reported "having a really hard time
>>> compiling" just the plugin.  I suggested he do a full compile with his
>>> modifications in (since supposedly he had compiled the whole program at
>>> least once, right?).
>>>
>>> Ernest Ibarra stopped replying to my emails after 4 weeks of PayPal
>>> payments by June 28th. Finally on July 19th, after receiving another 2
>>> weeks (total $2400) I asked Ibarra to send me the code that he could not
>>> get to compile so I could compile it myself but never heard back.  BIG
>>> DISAPPOINTMENT -- should not 3 years of C++ be enough for a competent
>>> programmer to work on a very small part of Cinelerra? So I am closing BT
>>> #62 as being a HUGE FAILURE -- at least with Ernest Ibarra.
>>>


I've been coding for 35+ years, and have even designed hardenned systems 
that run on spacefraft, and while my comment is in no way meant to 
disparage the folks who volunteer to code and fix cinGG, I wouldn't 
touch the codebase with a 10 foot pole in its current state.  It can 
loosely be defined as C++, but nothing in it is anywhere near modern C++ 
best-practice coding, and internal documentation doesn't exist.  The 
only thing that keeps it chugging along are the countless hours of a few 
folks who have been into it long enough and deeply enough to know what 
is where.

I'd be more inclined to say "did you learn your lesson?" to anyone who 
offered money to someone for cinGG coding updates.

And FWIW, I know many 10-15 year software engineers who lack talent, but 
can continue to earn a living because qualitative productivity isn't 
valued anymore.


-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: OpenPGP_0x36472CAD382840B8.asc
Type: application/pgp-keys
Size: 632 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP public key
URL: <https://lists.cinelerra-gg.org/pipermail/cin/attachments/20230413/dbdaaa9f/attachment.skr>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: OpenPGP_signature
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 236 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP digital signature
URL: <https://lists.cinelerra-gg.org/pipermail/cin/attachments/20230413/dbdaaa9f/attachment.sig>