Ask HN: How to say no to a GitHub issue feature request?
The best thing to do is to decide where your boundaries are, and then tell them.I was in your position many times. I was so frustrated to feel like the other person was entitled to my time. Then I had to fight my urges to tell them to fuck off, wasting even more time and energy in the process. Even if I replied, it wasn't helpful to anybody if I was being polite but passive-aggressive.Then I realized that it was a huge misunderstanding. How can people know what my limits are if I don't tell them? We don't all share the same sensibilities and background. Instead of getting upset, it's possible to tell people and move on. 99% of the time people understand and respect that.Since then, I adopt the following classification:1. Is the feature interesting to me? Let them know2. If not, would I accept a PR for it? Let them know, with also some criteria for inclusion. No half-baked attempts please.That's it.One surprising thing I discovered is that I wasn't entirely clear where my limits were. Going through that process over and over again helped me figure that out. And become better at communicating clearly.