Caliber looks awesome, I just downloaded it and look forward to using it.
It looks like a tremendous program that was written with care and input from an extensive community. However . . .
I came here after being asked by Caliber if I would like to:
“Install Command Line Tools”
and wondered what this would mean to me and my computer (its use, will it slow my computer in any way, etc.) but was a little dismayed by the lack of compassion and understanding to someone who, misunderstanding a program, set his library to his desktop and had “deleted nearly everything [he] had on [his] desktop irrespective of whether the files were ebooks or not. Nearly all photos, videos, music, data etc were gone.”
I usually look at Forums before I delve into a program that looks as extensive as Calibre and see if the rules are followed, such as the first one:
1. Discuss things politely
At this post people stated (and this is just the first page):
You're like the fool that shoots himself in the foot with a gun and then blames the gun manufacturer for not manufacturing a gun that can read your mind and so refuse to shoot your foot off.
AND
What's so unusual about an application deleting files when you tell it to?
AND
Only a fool stores the original file on the Desktop . . .
AND
don't let the screen door hit you in the ass on your way out . . . (after poster asking for an alternative to Calibre)
AND
You just proved you are a bigger 'Maroon' asking in the forum DEDICATED to Calibre.
I bet you ignore the 'Don't back up' as you exit a secure car park and blame the owner.
Of these five choices, I am looking for the one that is the least polite and can't really pick a winner.
And this is a “support” forum and I suppose as a community, you are not only trying to help people with their issues but also attract prospective customers?
I think what the posting person was trying to say was that other programs, such as iTunes, Reaper (DAW), Sibelius (music writing/composing program similar to Finale), Kindle, Aperture, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, and others I could name (all complex, beautifully written apps, that are similar to Calibre in this respect), even when the library is misplaced, do not have the capacity to erase ALL the files on a desktop (and most can not even delete their OWN files). This kind of power is generally limited to such utilities such as Disc Repair, Disc Warrior, Tech Tool Pro, the Terminal, and Cocktail, which are programs for repairing and initialising you hard drive.
Admittedly, it was a user error, but one that IMO shouldn't have such dire consequences as irretrievably deleting ALL data on a desktop, and I appreciate the warning given by the posting person (I keep a folder on my desktop with much important data in it and have it backed up twice, on an external in home and online).
I have just quit Caliber and will wait for a response to:
What are “Line Command Tools”?
(I’ve searched the Forum and Instructions and came upon this posting while doing so.)
Thank you, and please don't take this personally, but I will have a lot of questions and generally donate once I see that a program does what I wish and that the people on the Forum (or email) can answer questions clearly and politely
