Re: SEUL: The Cathedral and the bazaar (fwd)

[Kevin Forge <forgeltd@usa.net>]

Tim Coleman wrote:
> 
> >
> > I'm assuming everyone has read
> >   "The Cathedral and the Bazaar" by Eric S. Raymond
> >   http://www.ccil.org/~esr/writings/cathedral.html
> > (which points to the German translation
> >   http://www.linux-magazin.de/ausgabe.1997.08/Basar/basar.html
> > )
> >
> > It's a very compelling idea.
> >
> > However, there are a couple of things that don't seem to fit into 
> > this model:
> >  * How do we create a *global* help system ?
> 
> One acronym: HTML.  Develop a web browser, and allow it to use a
> help:// protocol or something like that. Make a browsable help index
> and include some cgi (or java) to allow searching of the
> help database.  I don't know.  I hope that these are
> good ideas.
> 
> Take a look at how KDE has structured its help system.
>
Very nicely :).  It will be easier for them to add little HTML tags
that open MAN pages in a readable and comfortable format ( open a
Man page in MC ( Midnight Commander ) and see what that looks like :) 
>
> >  * How do we create a *consistent*, easy-to-use user interface ?
> 
> Why not decide on a universal interface standard, which programmers
> should use to develop software for seul?  Then, make software which
> follows these standards available from the seul website, and put
> a seul "seal of approval" on them or something?
> 
> Since software is GPL'ed, you could have developers who work
> to make sure that applications conform to these standards.
> 
Not necessary ... now that KDE and GNOME seam to be working on similar
Interface elements wherever possible, it's simply a matter of time
before 
other developers agree that ctrl+C= copy etc...
>
> Some standard libs for developers wold be a nice idea too.
>
Not likely right now.  Better to ask them to hammer similar interfaces
out 
of the different libs they use.  Some programers love QT and consider it
the best thing since sliced Motif.  Other developers think Troll tench's
license is too dangerous to play with.
> >
> > These are so very important to the SEUL distribution. But we want to
> > maintain as much of the a bazaar-like atmosphere as possible.
> 
> I do't thin that it's possible to maintain a complete bazaar-like
> atmosphere, and have universal standards.  Not unless you own
> every shop in the bazaar.
> 
> Tim
Read the Paper again.  You will note that in his experiment he started
by working alone then he built a little cathedral ( just a confessional 
actually ).  Finally, when there was some work in place from which he
could
draw his authority he opened a Bazaar
-- 
"Through the firewall, out the router, down the T1, across the
backbone, bounced from satellite, Nothing but net."