Re: gEDA-user: Idea/suggestion for improving the gschem GUI

[Geoff Swan <shinobi.jack@xxxxxxxxx>]

>>> Remember, the bare hardware without any software at all has the greatest potential. Every line of code added to the software system takes away from that potential. This is necessary, of course. You have the hardware for specific purposes, and the software serves these. But one should not ignore the cost in lost capability.

Sorry, this to me is the most surreal argument I have come across for
a while. This hardware capability that is suggested reduced by every
line of code added by the programmer is certainly not intrinsic to the
hardware. The capability comes from the programmer. This argument
seems similar to suggesting that somehow the canvas that Leonardo da
Vinci painted the Mona Lisa on contained the capability rather than da
Vinci.
I agree with advocacy for well factored code, and agree that it often
seems that programmers are generating a glut of code, rather than
thinking ahead and producing less lines but of better written work.
But better that we have poor code with *some* functionality than
hardware that has infinit potential, zero lost capability and no
functionality whatsoever. As someone who often falls into the trap of
not doing something at all because I don't feel I have the time or
capability to do a job to a percieved high standard; I would warn
against arguments like these because often just getting some sort of
functionality is better than nothing at all.
I presume the real concern here is that gEDA will lose capability by
people adding features or functionality that restrict existing
capability or similar. This perhaps is a valid concern. I enjoy
reading this list because I am constantly coming across people using
gEDA in such a way that capability of the gEDA suite that I had no
idea was there is revealed. I think one of the PR problems gEDA has is
that on the surface it often does not appear capable (but ongoing
changes to the wiki and website are helping greatly in this respect).
Perhaps as more people become aware of the capability of gEDA and how
to leverage it, arguments about additional features etc will become
less frequent.

Geoff

PS I hope I do not cause offence with my 2 cents in this argument. I
am simply doing my best to disagree respectfully.


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