Re: gEDA-user: Database on symbols, footprints and other (was "Re: gattrib")

[Jared Casper <jaredcasper@xxxxxxxxx>]

Sorry, bored tonight and want to jump in... ;)

On Thu, May 6, 2010 at 6:07 PM, John Doty <jpd@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I encourage people to contribute to gedasymbols. Where is your contribution?
>

If gedasymbols is good, what's wrong with a tool to allow easier
access to a gedasymbols-like-but-more-organized database?

> Not true. If the database behind the GUI tool is inadequate, the GUI gets in the way. Users will have to get used to reaching around it anyway. That will drive away everyone who thinks it should actually work, while the few remaining will drop back to the workable flow, and the cute GUI feature will have only driven people away.
>

Those that would be driven away by the fact that such a database isn't
complete and perfect will almost certainly be driven away by the
current situation.  But if gEDA is perfect as is and no more features
should be added, why does it matter if people are driven away?  An
open source project typically wants more users to have more
contributors, but if contributions are unnecessary (or contributions
are ignored, but that's another story) then it doesn't matter if
people are driven away.

> Ah, but it does have to be perfect. Otherwise there will be lots of whining about what a piece of crap gEDA is. People won't be able to find their favorite component. People will design boards, fabricate them, and be shocked when pin numbers turn out to be wrong.
>

http://www.jwz.org/doc/worse-is-better.html

> Sure. Contribute your symbols to gedasymbols. I encourage this. But the delusion that this can somehow lead to a situation where a user can just pick a component from a menu without both careful checking and customization is damaging.
>

Just because it is hard and tedious to use use symbols/footprints from
gedasymbols won't discourage people who would use them blindly from
doing so.  Easier access to such a database would make it easier to
find existing symbols and pull them in for customization for those
that know how to use the tool set.  Just because it may make it easier
for people to shoot themselves in the foot is no reason not to have
it.

Jared


_______________________________________________
geda-user mailing list
geda-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.seul.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/geda-user