[Desktop_architects] [dtl_s_t_m] Re: [dtl_s_t_m] Adding some background information...

SAKUMA Junichi jun at osdl.jp
Wed Jun 14 08:52:01 PDT 2006


On Sun, 11 Jun 2006 12:04:05 -0700
Bryce Harrington <bryce at osdl.org> wrote:

> On Sun, Jun 11, 2006 at 08:42:46PM +0900, Chang-Won Ahn (ETRI) wrote:
> > On 6/9/06, SAKUMA Junichi <jun at osdl.jp> wrote:
> > >Discussions
> > >- Food for thoughts by Jun Iio, Mitsubishi Research Institute
> > >  - Linux has only 5% share of the client market. Why so poor?
> > >  - Do we let MS rule forever?
> > >  - The OSS development model won't work sometimes with desktop
> > >    app. users who are mere beneficiaries. Who develops the Linux
> > >    desktop and how?
> 
> This is an important point, and one we all need to correct when the
> question comes up.  Too often, software users are used to the idea of
> developers and users being very distinct and separate things.  This is
> certainly true in commercial, closed-source software.
> 
> But the whole idea of open source is that it is open _to users_.  With
> few exceptions, most open source developers are really just users that
> got very passionate and curious.  ;-)
> 
> Thus the OSS development model works when users go beyond being mere
> beneficiaries and get involved in development.  It can often be hard for
> users to recognize that they are so important, and have such
> responsibility, because they are so accustomed to the old model.  But
> they soon find that it is extremely empowering when they can solve their
> own problem, and in doing so, solve the problem for many other people
> like them.
> 
> I think this is an important idea to get across, especially when someone
> expresses some confusion over how the OSS model can work.
> 
> > >- Nurturing developers
> > >  - Some hesitate over getting into OSS development.
> > >    - License issues are touchy.
> > >    - Hackers are harsh.
> > >  - OSS lacks documentation.
> > >    - It shows that the developers has very little interest in
> > >      popularity.
> > >    - OOo is an exception. It has a lot of document writers in
> > >      its community and has nurtured a business model in which
> > >      companies and writers can collaborate on ducumentation.
> > >    - Documents about APIs are definitely insufficient,
> > >      e.g. gnome, gimp, evolution...
> > >    - Obsolete even if documented, e.g. gtk...
> > >    - Hackers always say "RTFSC!" but a lot of source code has
> > >      dirty or wrong styles.
> 
> If you look at this right, it shows that there are many opportunities
> for involvement.  As has already been mentioned earlier, liaisons could
> be very valuable for helping new people to get involved in projects.  I
> often find that when several people from the same country get involved
> in Inkscape, it makes all of them much more comfortable.
> 
> As well, I notice that people from different cultures sometimes have
> different ideas of what is polite vs. what is harsh, and often what
> seems to be to be very curt and abrupt, was not actually meant to be so;
> it is just how people in that culture communicate.  Perhaps with better
> involvement of people from other cultures, the harshness can be tempered
> and made more welcoming and friendly.
> 
In the meeting they talked about harshness in particular about coding
styles. Suppose a beginner gets up the nerve and submits his or her
first patch to an OSS developers list. Instead of praising his or her
spirits, OSS gurus in the list will gang up on the beginner about his
or her coding style - unsophisticated logic, naming convention, and
on top of that, indentation!

It's very funny that this kind of hackers' harshness has been
subconsciously taken as a role model here in this country
where people are supposed to be mild and polite. Even at this
moment in Japan(midnight - it's hackers' time!), beginners must
be going through tough initiations. So IMHO the culture gap
between hackers and beginners is far larger than that between
countries. 


> Documentation is always a problem; even closed source software suffers
> from it.  But we musn't let that be an excuse.  Unfortunately, it's
> usually true that the people who are best suited to write documentation
> have the least motivation to create it.  Sometimes they can be convinced
> to do so, especially if they are considerate about others that will be
> following in their footsteps.  But more often it is necessary for others
> to spot this as a need, and fulfil it.
> 
> When we started Inkscape, there was almost no documentation at all.  Yet
> thanks to the hard work of many users, our user documentation is now
> extremely good.  For example, we didn't have a User ManuaCVGl originally; a
> French user said he would work on one, but he didn't feel comfortable
> writing so much in English, so he just did it in French, and we
> translated from there.  Perhaps no coincidence we also have a very
> active number of French Inkscape users.  :-)
> 
> Bryce
> 

-- 
SAKUMA, Junichi <jun at osdl.jp>
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