Shit like this pisses me off. For some reason, a minority of people on the Internet (and in real life too) feel the need to try and destroy the work of other people for one reason or another. Some because they’re bored, some because they’re actually malicious, some just to seek attention or see people’s reactions. I cannot understand why though.

Everyday, good people take time out of their day to provide – or help provide – something useful for others. They take time out from hobby or leisure time. They take time out that they could spend with families or loved ones. Usually for no reward other than the knowledge that they’ve given something that others need or find useful. All to have some scum-sucking maggot destroy it without a thought to the consequences.

It’s surely heart-breaking to endure and I find it heart breaking to watch. Especially when it’s something that I’ve been a part of.

I’ve been involved in the e107 community almost since it started. I’ve watched it grow from little more than a news publishing system, to a full-grown content management system. I’ve taken time to write plugins for it, provide feedback on each release, suggested ideas for development, made themes for it… So have countless others. I’m sure each and every one of us who has contributed to e107 must feel as though the people who have been causing problems have stuck two fingers up at all our work. However, I don’t think any feeling we have about the subject could come close to what Jalist – the father of e107 – could be feeling.

As his post says, he gets no material reward for all his efforts. Until recently, he has written pretty much everything in the core of e107 on his own. He has taken time away from his children to provide a tool for others. All the while, he has never wanted to compete with anyone and has pointed people to other systems if he feels they will benefit from them more than his own system. Yet someone has still taken all that. All the hard work, the time given, the help proved… and done the virtual equivalent of wiping their arse with it.

Well I hope it blocks their toilet.