Re: [DotGNU]RDF based discovery system

[Norbert Bollow]

Mike,
  I think you're totally off-track with this criticism of DotGNU,
and of Rhys in particular.  (Even if you don't mention him by name,
it's clear who you mean).  The pnet project is not primarily about
creativity, it has other goals... don't judge Rhys as being someone
who "lacks creativity" just because he does not want your style of
creativity in the official pnet sources.  DotGNU has plenty of room
for creativity that can be introduced in other official development
projects, as well as in the form of inofficial patches.  I can
understand that the "cathedral" development style (which Rhys has
consciously chosen to adopt for dotgnu-pnet) strikes you as a matter
of "total control over the project"... I agree that a free software
project which is developed in "cathedral" manner is like a little
kingdom, but I think this is no problem whatsoever as long as
everyone who wants can get their own little kingdom by forking the
project.  I think that while the arguments against forking projects
have merit in the context of "bazaar" style projects, it's totally
acceptable to create a fork of a "cathedral" style project, if you
don't agree with the maintainer's choice of goals which result in
your patches being rejected.  However _because_ forking (or, what
in this situation would be the more reasonable approach, distributing
and maintaining an unofficial patch), is considered acceptable in the
DotGNU community, I think you should be able to live with the fact
that DotGNU development projects have the freedom to adopt a
"cathedral" development style if they so choose.

If what I'm trying to say doesn't seem to make sense to you, maybe
we should talk about it via irc or telephone?  I'd really like to
get this situation of tension resolved, so that I can then move
forward in the matter of official endorsement for SwigSharp.

Wram greetings,
Norbert.


James Michael DuPont <address@hidden> wrote:

> This ties back into my original proposal for a meta-object workgroup 
> and meta-data repository. 
> http://wiki.dotgnu.org/TaskMetaDataRepository
> 
> That would provide many datasources for a generic discovery system.
> 
> We need to really ask ourselves what is going to be published and what
> not!
> 
> I feel that free software should not be afraid to allow free access to
> the meta-data of a program. 
> 
> It seems that some people wish to reduce the amount of meta-data
> available to to public, because they are afraid that they will lose
> control of their projects when it becomes easy to change and use them.
> 
> I have no sympathy for the position of reducing knowledge and
> information in free software project. Free software needs to be open,
> and the meta data has to be made available in an easy to use format.
> 
> Discovery systems are fine for close source components, where the
> vendor can put the goods in a black box. 
> 
> Many free software developers lack the creativity to think themselves
> out of the box. 
> 
> They are happy to copy the ideas of microsoft and present solutions for
> free software that do not make sense. 
> 
> The idea of discovery needs to go down to the method and variable level
> where you can browse an program and extract just the needed bits and
> bobs. In the end, this is tied closely into the job of the compiler,
> but is implemented on a global scale.
> 
> I challenge you to have the courage to embrace such an idea.
> 
> I don't think it is possible because of the lack of knowledge exchange
> and openness.
> 
> As far as I see is a clear creation of classes of developers in this
> project : the "Haves", a few who jealously hide knowledge about the
> project and the "Have-Nots". those who are on the outside looking in,
> fighting with hidden data structures, bad error messages, and FUD.
> 
> I challenge you all to start sharing information, even if it would
> reduce your total control over the project, in the end the whole
> project will gain from it.
> 
> mike
> 
> --- Norbert Bollow <address@hidden> wrote:
> > > Unless any objections are raised soon, DotGNU will have an RDF
> > based
> > > discovery system.
> > 
> > BTW there is no reason to limit this to webservices.  RDF-based
> > discovery will be  useful for locating all kinds of services,
> > including commercial services of all kinds, and including servers
> > that
> > offer software for download.
> > 
> > Greetings, Norbert.
> > 
> > -- 
> > Founder & Steering Committee member of
> > http://gnu.org/projects/dotgnu/
> > Free Software Business Strategy Guide   ---> 
> > http://FreeStrategy.info
> > Norbert Bollow, Weidlistr.18, CH-8624 Gruet (near Zurich,
> > Switzerland)
> > Tel +41 1 972 20 59        Fax +41 1 972 20 69      
> > http://norbert.ch
> > _______________________________________________
> > Developers mailing list
> > address@hidden
> > http://www.dotgnu.org/mailman/listinfo/developers
> 
> 
> =====
> James Michael DuPont
> http://introspector.sourceforge.net/
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Platinum - Watch CBS' NCAA March Madness, live on your desktop!
> http://platinum.yahoo.com
>