Fair enough. I’ll monitor future frontend developments on GitHub (and chime in if I feel I have something worthwhile to add).
I wish the backend repo also had a Feature Request template. The current template explicitly states that Issues are for bug reporting, not feature requests.
This forum has a Feature Requests sub-section but, as everyone knows, that’s where ideas go to die (i.e. very few are ever implemented).
FWIW, I’ve commented on some PRs in the backend repo but, typically, only if the PR affects me directly. Overall I would say most developers are open to suggestions.
I agree, that’s a very accurate description of the Feature Request forum.
Most of those ideas (ie new integration support) require the purchase of expensive hardware, learning or reverse engineering an API, hours and hours of coding, etc… So it’s somewhat understandable that very few of those requests ever get implemented. I assume that’s the main reason feature requests aren’t allowed on the backend repo, they’d be just as dead/ignored over there too, with the additional downside of making it harder to find bug reports etc.
But feature requests are very much encouraged on the Frontend repo. A big focus right now is on making Home Assistant easier to use, and there’s now a full-time employee (Bram) focused on the frontend, so it’s been getting a lot of attention lately. Any ideas, critiques, feedback of any kind is appreciated there
My point was “he’s not the one who gives green lights” and he clearly is not in the position to address this completely non-developer issue.
I never underestimated his opinion.
I’d discuss that. Is this forum a part of HA ecosystem? I mean, it looks like part of https://www.home-assistant.io and people can access it from the main page of HA website.
There is no links to Reddit group there, is it? And I think we don’t need it - I believe it’s clear that if you want to know about something about a product/have an issue with it/want to be heard you head to the website and do it there. So I’d call this forum “an official HA forum”. Does anyone need more than one? I’d say no. There can be numerous “unofficial” ones but there is no need for more than one.
And on this premise your reasoning is not correct. HA authorities have the right channel and plenty of opportunities to gather user’s feedback. Here.
How about the majority, mere users. They are often far from programming at all and not that proficient in finding ways to that “holy Graal”, let alone the fact there is no clear link from HA’s front webpage to its Github repository.
Yeah, it is possible to break a leg and then heal it (but it won’t be as new anymore). We’re suggesting here some measures how to prevent breakages because it’s less painful (if it’s your leg, of course).
I believe there are different types of feedback and HA needs both. You’re talking about reporting issues. We’re asking for a feedback about upcoming breaking/serious changes as it can easily eliminate a lot of after-break issues. You just cannot say it’s the same, can you?
I know it can slow down the development process a bit but it depends on how it’s organised.
It seems like it’s down to @balloob/HA management (as there should be some), not to contributors. They need to integrate this bit into the development process and make sure the good balance is achieved.
I hope they can and will do it.
FR graveyard, very grim place.
I don’t think the majority of them are for new integrations support. I have a feeling it’s core enhancements (like ability to use variables in templates) so I have to disagree here.
Way to nowhere, honestly. FRs should be collected and regularly and carefully considered/re-evaluated (as HA evolves) by a panel and then prioritised. Some of them will be rejected, but not all.
That’s great. But in the last few days I saw at least two issues related to this state_color change closed swiftly with a short “it’s by design” comment. No further explanation given. So what do we have out of that feedback? Nothing. Would the person who opened such an issue do it again? Probably not as it’s not the greatest experience.
I know people are different and there are rude users and kind devs but it’s wrong to threat all users as an unnecessary annoyance when they bring you a new issue and ask for help. (I’m not talking about you @SeanM, you’re great!)
Please don’t feel offended, it was not my purpose. Sorry again. I believe you want something better as well as many others here. IMHO, the conversation became polemic and not constructive.
I’m leaving the topic anyway as I cannot justify spending my time here - there is nobody to convince. People who can change the situation are unreachable.
As for my receptiveness and lengthly posts - I tried to show devs the situation from users’ point of view and some of them didn’t seem to appreciate pretty obvious things so I had to explain further or show their own contradictory statements. It’s never too easy.
Anyway, I really need to do something else.
There’s an existing Architecture repo but it’s not intended for users’ wish lists. Copying this idea, I suggest creating a new repo for Feature Requests. It would centralize requests from all communities (and be close to where developers “hang out”).
An additional benefit is that it encourages users to get a GitHub account and become more familiar with it.
With a centralized Feature Requests repo, the one on this forum (and any others) can be retired.
It is a small team (most of which are now Nabu Casa employees) which are making all decisions.
Notice threads getting closed when those decisions get challenged?
Remember when Nabu Casa was founded we were all told “Don’t worry…” and “We will be open and disclose funding, etc, etc” but we’ve not seen any of this. What we are seeing the opposite of what’s been promised…
This may be a stupid question as someone who has just a very basic understanding of GitHub, but…
In my opinion, the issue is that no one checks GitHub, or even knows where to find e.g. the roadmap, the upcoming changes and features and so on and thus is shocked of the changes (me included). Could we maybe provide a link to that in a sticky?
I don’t mind the change, but I can’t get it to work consistently. Here is a card that I have state_color: true on. The switch is at the bottom is lit, but the two lights at the top never light up, no matter what. They are in the “light” domain as well.
you can change the way the icon color displays. you just have to change the setting in the card for “state_color”. It’s not ideal that you have to do it for every card but at least you can still have the ability to get the old functionality back.
