[Hitcher]

I don't see why different nodes can't be added that cover these listings and then simply change Confluence to allow the user to select them on the home screen.

Surely it's a win-win situation as there's no extra scripts involved and the user has more choice over what they want listed on the home screen (which, let's face it, is growing more and more popular). Also having more nodes in the core makes using them in other skins easier.

Hell, I'll help code it if need be.

[bossanova808]

+1 to that

-1 to locking conversations about perfectly reasonable features someone has spent time on implementing after years of people requesting it. Sure you want to do it a better way - but if no one has in several years, at least be a little polite to people that are trying!

[ronie]

we have a forum for conversations. github is not the place for that.
each comment made on github gets emailed to every xbmc dev and they
receive more than enough email as-is already.

please accept the fact devs use github for development only.
when users start +1'ing pull-requests, they are really crossing the line.


as for closing the PR, that shouldn't have come as a surprise:
208428 (thread)

[bossanova808]

It's not closing it per se, really, just the way of it. Tone. It's something xbmc/kodi has really struggled with the 6 years or so I have been following it. And it seems of late there's been a lot of sniping etc. again. But I suppose nearing release is a butt load of work so tempers fray a bit, which is also fair enough!

[Ned Scott]

Yeah, the way the PR itself was closed right off the bat and the only explanation was basically "no". That gives the feeling of having a door slammed in your face. I wasn't talking about the PR itself having comments turned off for outsiders.

[tripkip]

Yes it feels like a door being slammed in your face. But that would also be the case if within a single minute the PR gets rejected with a valid reason.
In this case I haven't seen a real valid and staffed reason..

I know that you have a kind of 'product owner' within the team that is responsible for a certain module, but if this is an example of how PR's are handled by these product owners then there is something wrong with the approval procedure. Sure the owners must have the biggest say and must be able veto any PR by giving a good reason that other team members agree upon, but not just slamming things down because they don't like the look of it or want to do it better somewhere around 2018.

Like NedScott and I said earlier in this case there is:

• Demand
  
• Working solution
  
• No regression
  
• No additional dependency
  
• Team members wanting it
  
• No staffed reason no to
  

Confluence is a good skin and it's good to keep the default skin simple and especially widely accessible (usability wise) but don't forget it's the first experience many new members get with Kodi and therefore also has to offer a good expierence. Adding this widely requested feature in will only benefit the user in the end.

Like Confluence and want to see unwatched recently added items on the home screen without this PR?

1. Search and hopefully find a good Confluence mod --> "What not possible with this skin itself? I'll stick to media player x"
   
2. Download zip / add third party repo
   
3. Install Confluence mod --> Loose official skin/support
   

Like Confluence and want to see unwatched recently added items on the home screen with this PR?

• Already have service.skin.widgets addon: it just works like you want it to work
  
• Or from the Confluence wiki: install the official service.skin.widgets addon
  

[Martijn]

It's not closing it per se, really, just the way of it. Tone. It's something xbmc/kodi has really struggled with the 6 years or so I have been following it. And it seems of late there's been a lot of sniping etc. again. But I suppose nearing release is a butt load of work so tempers fray a bit, which is also fair enough!

Why?
He already knew the answer and the PR would be rejected.
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=208428
No need to sugar-coat it.

[Karnagious]

Politeness is not sugar-coating, it is a laxative; it means people will keep giving a shit.

[Martijn]

Only showing unwatched items is only a few lines in core core and adding the setting.
So why haven't "we" done it? Simply because lack of time or interest or whatever reasons. Create a RP that adds this to core behaviour.

Relying on the script is not the way to go. What happens when I would kill the script for usage in Helix or I***? Then Confluence is cluttered with unused stuff that needs to be ripped out again.

Sorry if it was too blunt to close it but i thought the reason was quite obvious that it wouldn't be added because ronie already said to him it needed be adjusted in core.

[Martijn]

Solution in this PR: https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/5745

It's sad to see that closed so fast. As long as people feel "ownership" over certain parts of the software then then new ideas will continue to be needlessly shot down, at least for the wrong reasons.

Taking advantage of an add-on if installed, but not requiring it, is exactly the direction we want people to go in when it comes to extra skin features.

This is also part of the reason it's hard to find new developers.

It is a perfectly fine reason to not add this. Same like the video extra addon. It's a nice idea but the current way it is implemented is not the correct solution and certainly way beyond anything user friendly. Find a C++ dev that finds a correct way of implementing it.

Fact is that we add support for addon X another one also wants support for Y, Z, A, B, C, D and so on.

[Ned Scott]

It's not closing it per se, really, just the way of it. Tone. It's something xbmc/kodi has really struggled with the 6 years or so I have been following it. And it seems of late there's been a lot of sniping etc. again. But I suppose nearing release is a butt load of work so tempers fray a bit, which is also fair enough!

Why?
He already knew the answer and the PR would be rejected.
http://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=208428
No need to sugar-coat it.

He made that PR with that thread feedback in mind. He didn't already know it would be closed. ronie said there shouldn't be dependencies, so a PR was made that optionally uses the add-on. Then when he asks why, you guys just point him to the same discussion he already had, which doesn't explain why the optional method is being rejected. There's nothing to sugar coat, there has been no reason given at all other than "because I said so".

Whatever. Have fun with that. The rest of us will go and use far better skins. It's just a PITA to tell all the new users why they have to switch skins for basic functionality.

[Martijn]

thread feedback was

what needs to be done (if anything) is change the logic in xbmc to only pull
unwatched recently added items from the database.

where does that say create PR for including optional script support?

have fun with better skin.
Fun fact, i am actually the one who made the script in question so i think i am entitled to some say in that although it's opensource?

[Ned Scott]

The stated reason it was closed was to prevent additional add-on dependancies.

tripkip thought it should be configurable in the GUI, so people could have it one way or the other. He made it so that skin widgets isn't a dependency, taking care of the main concern.

ronie thought we should remove unwatched items from core.

Before anything further could be said...

You have decided to close the discussion and make sure that tripkip knew, on no uncertain terms, that his idea would never be considered. You actually went out of your way to give that impression. You didn't even give the PR a second of serious consideration. You wrote him off as just some "dumb user". You would have never done this had it been someone on the team. You wouldn't treat JMarshal or Memphiz like that.

For all I know, the end decision might still have been to not include it, but when you handle it like this then no one else wants to deal with disrespectful "gatekeepers". Then people don't feel like making new features, submitting bug fixes, or even joining the team when invited.

That's a problem.

[Martijn]

You wrote him off as just some "dumb user".

Those are your words! Not mine!

[tripkip]

Thank you Ned Scott - you hit the nail on the head in my opinion.

Now all discrepancies aside for I'm happy to mention for anyone crossing this thread that we are getting there with a solution in core instead of skin/addon (thank you Memphiz): https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc/pull/5747