[geeks] I love it when software gets more efficient

[William Kirkland]

On Sep 13, 2006, at 16:34, geeks-request at sunhelp.org wrote:

> Message: 8
> Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2006 19:08:11 -0400
> From: Charles Shannon Hendrix <shannon at widomaker.com>
> Subject: Re: [geeks] I love it when software gets more efficient
> To: The Geeks List <geeks at sunhelp.org>
> Message-ID: <20060913230811.GC32409 at widomaker.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Wed, 13 Sep 2006 @ 10:39 -0700, William Kirkland said:
>
>> My point is that the capability exists in a unix environment (non-
>> Micros**t).
>
> ...and my point was that the capability does not exist in all cases
> where an application frequently modifies the file.
>
>>> This kind of thing really needs a standard.
>>
>> The standard needs to be placed on the applications, not the OS. You
>> will not be able to address the issue any other way. The unix world
>> has provided the recommendation that the configuration files should
>> be human readable text files
>
> Two potential tasks:
>
> 	- convince a small number of OS developers to provide a standard
> 	  configuration foundation

Application developers have used alternate methods, so that the tools  
provided by the OS are typically ignored. ... why would an OS vender  
wish to pursue this further?

> 	- convincer literally hundreds of thousands of application developers
> 	  to provice a standard configuration foundation
>
> You might be right technically, but ask yourself which is more  
> likely to
> happen.
>
> Now, you *might* do it from the application POV if you convince really
> large projects like Gnome and KDE to adopt it.
>
> Then again, take a good look at them, their redundant and conflicting
> configuration, and the fact that they are both participating in the  
> same
> standard, or are supposed to be (freedesktop.org).
>
>> The user's will only complain to the application developers, who
>> would then modify their code to allow the user to override the SA's
>> "recommendations".
>
> Most users won't even know it is happening.
>
> Application developer might well change code to suit users, but the
> admin can simply remove them if they want.

... and one user will defeat this by installing a private copy of  
some software, that has a specific behavior you have removed, then  
show his buddies ...

> If the source is open, admins will get together and remove changes  
> like
> that.
>
> In fact, that already happens now, and I'm one of them.

Good, then open source looks like the most viable solution.

> -- 
> shannon "AT" widomaker.com -- [javalin: an unwieldy programming  
> weapon used
> to stab a software project through the heart until dead]

--
Bill.Kirkland at gmail.com