In a recent post in his new Borland blog, Nick Hodges asks for the "The Top Ten Niggling, Irritating, and Downright Bad IDE Bugs List". Interesting approach in getting help from the community and in showing that progress is being made, at the same time. Hope this starts a trend, couple with frequent hot fixes to the products.

Suggestions have started to flow, ranging from memory leaks, to disappearing new items elements, and to blue dots on wrong lines. By the way, the disappearing effect takes place also on the Tools Palette: I'd really like a separate Component and New Items Palette pages, with context switching, but so that I can always get to that components list even when I'm writing code (but this is a featuyre request, so it doesn't count for Nick's Top Ten).

What I want to undeline, though, is that Nick's initiative has been very well received. John Herbster write: "One reason that they hired Nick may be that he comes with a support group of volunteer experts who can thoroughly discuss just about any topic from all sides." Thomas Miller writes: "Hats off to this initiative." And many others agree...

Nick has been active on other areas, despite he's one week old DevCo employee. In the 120 messages he recently wrote in the Borland newsgroup (you'll get a different list when you use that link, as newsgroups data changes over time), he answers to request on 64bit Delphi, low-cost editions, and more. Lot's of interesting posts, with Michael Swindell and John Kaster involved as well.

But this is by far the best exchange:

Bruce McGee:

      
I can only hope you do or say something that will be interpreted
(actual logic need not apply) as controversial by some vocal minority
in these groups.  Seems unlikely, though.

      
Nick Hodges:

      
Oh yeah, that will never happen.  ;-)

    

I think I'm starting to like this new guy. Now if I could only grab the roadmap from his desk and change it a little bit...