RE: libmikmod woes..

[mythus@mailandnews.com]

I would just like to say, as someone who is just starting in the
"OpenSource" project area, this is the smartest, most to-the-point, and
helpful paragraph I have seen written on this list in relation to starting a
new project after almost 6 months of sifting through all these messages.

thank you.


-----Original Message-----
From: steve [mailto:steve]On Behalf Of Steve Baker
Sent: Monday, August 30, 1999 11:11 AM
To: linuxgames@sunsite.auc.dk
Subject: Re: libmikmod woes..


Christian Reiniger wrote:
>

Well, I think that what went wrong with Linux-GSDK (Long before you
were involved IIRC - and certainly before it had the PenguinPlay
name) was that it needed to get something basic WRITTEN more
quickly. Something concrete for people to criticize and build
upon. When Stephane started GSDK, he wanted it all finished
in six months - a very smart move!  However, there was no
interest in building on existing technologies - which is particularly
silly when you have such an ambitious goal and such a short
timescale.

You can't run a huge cooperative freeware project like you
would a commercial project.  Writing specs up-front, planning
everything out and then moving on to the coding just isn't
the way to go.  Talk is cheap and when 95% of the subscibers
to your list will never contribute a line of code, you can't
afford to bog down the 5% who will contribute with the endless
talk that goes on when 100 people all try to influence the
work. Dive in, write code - be prepared for it to be rewritten.
Establish who those 5% of productive individuals actually are.
Weigh your decisions accordingly.  When someone who is not
an active contributor says you are doing it all wrong, just
say "OK - contribute something better and we'll use it" and
99% of the time you'll never hear from them again.

--
Steve Baker                (817)619-2657 (Vox/Vox-Mail)
Raytheon Systems Inc.      (817)619-2466 (Fax)
Work: sjbaker@hti.com      http://www.hti.com
Home: sjbaker1@airmail.net http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1