Re: Standardization, large scale changes, innovations
On Tue, Mar 30 2010, Marc Haber wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 11:16:01AM +0200, Raphael Hertzog wrote:
>> On Thu, 25 Mar 2010, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
>> > What did you say? What difference does it make what tool is used
>> > when the result is equal?
>>
>> It doesn't make a difference for a the end-user, but it makes a difference
>> to contributors who have to learn a set of tools in order to be able to
>> contribute on a set of packages. If the set of tools to learn is smaller,
>> it's easier for the contributor to contribute to more packages and he has
>> to spend less time learning, time that can be better spent on improving
>> the package and on fixing bugs.
I am not sure that follows. How has my not using debhelper made
it harder for newcomers? How many newcomers learn my build system? Or
my git work-flow where I use submodules? There is a logical flaw in
the assumption that not limiting the choices people have for packaging
makes it a harder row to hoe for newbies.
> Is "making things easy for newcomers or casual helpers" really so
> important that we should risk scaring already active people away
> because they have to adapt their optimized workflow for newcomers?
>
> I can understand Manoj perfectly and would myself probably reduce my
> time spent on Debian even more if I were forced to do things more
> complicated (or even just different) because of some new policy. This
> is a first-class motivation killer for the people who are already there.
I have a new job. It is sucking up more time from me, as I learn
the ins and outs of how work gets done here. I also have a work-flow
that is mostly automated, allowing me to concentrate on fixing bugs and
integration issues. Any new complications added into the mix would be
a major monkey wrench thrown into the cogs. I am not sure I would be
able to give the packages the attention they deserve; I am already at
the border line of what I consider adequate maintainership.
So yes, busy work for a flawed and needless conformity would
impact my contributions to Debian. I am not sure that the benefits of
such conformity have been adequately demonstrated.
manoj
--
Humans are communications junkies. We just can't get enough. Alan Kay
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/~srivasta/>
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