[OT] Fundamental Issues with Open Source Software Development

[David A. Bandel]

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On Thu, 15 Apr 2004 21:51:09 -0500
Alma J Wetzker <almaw at ieee.org> wrote:

> Klaus-Peter Schrage wrote:
> > http://www.citizenlab.org/opensource/
> I have to wonder if the project has reached a 1.x release number.
> 
> > Canadian researcher Michelle Levesque has thoroughly examined an
> > Open Source Project (which she kept anonymous) and found "the five
> > most important flaws with Open Source software development to be as
> > follows: 1) User interface design
> I worked on a project for a bit over a year.  I did the "internal"
> feature stuff and there were four programmers working on the user
> interface.  That seems to be about the correct balance between
> features and interface in time and effort.
> 
> > 2) Documentation
> Yeah, read the code.  ;)

No, she's looking for a pretty book she won't read.

> 
> > 3) Feature-centric development
> I like projects where you add the features you want, get them working 
> correctly and move on.  I am just anal-retentive enough to make sure
> they all work together in various combinations.  (expect is great.)
> 
> > 4) Programming for the self
> How many programming products do you know that did not start as
> someone needing something that they could not do with another program?
>  (Be that a 
> feature, knowledge of a system or not enough money to buy the "real"
> package.)

So who else you gonna program for without pay?

> 
> > 5) Religious blindness"
> FOSS programmers tend to be passionate about their projects.  That is
> a sign of a good programmer, they care about the system and the uses. 
> It seems to be more focus and less blindness.  Besides, Has anyone
> heard a MCSE talk about linux v windoze lately?  There are idiots on
> all sides, that has nothing to do with the merits of the position.

The phrase "religious blindness" is used by zealots when you don't come
to see how their viewpoint (religion) is the correct one.

> 
> > 
> > Has someone an idea what "Project X" could be? At first sight, I
> > thought of the ALSA Project or The Gimp, but Project X seems to come
> > with a calendar ...
> > Klaus
> 
> With the many FOSS products available, it is foolish to generalize too
> much. Various programmers have various strengths.  As for copying an
> interface directly, as the author suggests, that may violate legal as
> well as ethical principles.  We are a maturing community, give us
> time.

Why copy garbage?  My first graphical interface (GUI) was mwm (Motif
Window Manager).  The M$ windows interface (this goes for KDE and Gnome
too) is unintuitive and fights me _way_ too much.  I still can't copy
and paste from one window to another in Windows using just the mouse --
annoying.  And command completion and command history is a must.  Now, I
wouldn't know a good interface from a bad one, I just know what works
(and doesn't work) for me.

Ciao,

David A. Bandel
- -- 
Focus on the dream, not the competition.
		Nemesis Racing Team motto
GPG key autoresponder:  mailto:david_key at pananix.com
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