Neither side has any particular obligation, but open source creates the most benefit when users and developers make an effort to be considerate towards each other.
I don't know why more people aren't pointing this out. It's almost as though people don't realize how much the value of Clojure comes from the community. Or aren't aware that many of the most helpful and constructive members of that community are burning out and leaving.
"At first, each community is defined by its potential. But as that potential is realized, the community begins to be defined by its compromises. That change is felt most keenly by the people who were there first, who remember what it was like when anything seemed possible. They feel fenced in and so they move on, in search of their golden city."
I don't think this gist is targeted at users, but at other contributors.
As a user, Clojure is one of the best community I've ever been in. Where else do you get someone from the core team answering your questions in less than 24h ?
Design choices are well explained, the ticket process is well detailed on the Jira, the conj each year announce what to expect in the new version, and everyone is polite, inclusive and friendly to newcomers and beginners alike.
I'm also not that sure the community contributes as much as you think. I use Clojure for work, and 95% of all value is from the core team only. I'm not trying to say the community is bad, I'm part of it, mostly trying to point out that it actually is quite disproportionate in relation to the core team, and I don't think we can criticize them until we (the community) actually step up and start being a lot more helpful and constructive.
I since abandoned Clojure. I didn’t trust the core team anymore.