Re: LYNX-DEV Re: Lynx updates

[Foteos Macrides]

Klaus Weide <address@hidden> wrote:
>On Sun, 10 Nov 1996, Foteos Macrides wrote:
>
>>[ about the DIRED patches ] 
>>      Note that I again had to remove the code for setting the Lynx
>> User-Agent string as an environment variable.  It had been included
>> in the patch, without comment that it had been included.  Please be
>> more careful about that, OK?
>
>Please accept my apologies for that,  it definitely shouldn't have
>happened. 
>
>>[ Klaus Weide <address@hidden> wrote:]
>> 
>> >Now, is someody gonna try those damn patches and report on it, or do I
>> >have to go on and on in long-winded messages [...]
>> 
>>      Please do your best not to be long-winded, but we'll try to
>> cope with it if there's no alternative. :) :) :)
>
>Well it seems to have gotten me somewhere :)

        Let's be clear about that, to avoid inappropriate future
behavior based on false assumptions.  I had already worked your DIRED
mods into lynx2-6mods.zip when your rant arrived.  My initial reaction
to the rant was "address@hidden you, Klaus!"  I "coped" with it by posting a
psuedo-humorous, psuedo-put_down with smilies. 

        I am still disappointed that the unicode handling you volunteered,
and were working on, was left as a hodge-podge of mods to an old FM code
set instead of a clean, up to date, distributable supplement to the v2.6
release, when I announced, in early Sept., that I wasn't starting another
FM code set, and that people should bring their patches and supplements
up to date with the v2.6 release.  MSIE has begun supporting unicode,
Netscape surely will follow, and this will become a glaring inadequacy
of Lynx in due time.

        I don't know what you are doing with the v5 wwwlib, but I don't
see signs that it might amount to more than the unicode handling w.r.t.
generation of code for the general distribution.

        I've stressed numerous times before that the Unix DIRED support
is a mixed-match of contributions over a period of years by people with
differing skills and overview of the Lynx code and URL handling, and
in need of a major overhaul, but that it must be done by people who use
Unix as their primary platform, just as the colorization mods should be
supervised by someone who uses Unix as his/her primary platform (since
if done at all on VMS, it would be done with "emulation functions", and
there's no point emulating a still moving target).

        On VMS, we have CSwing for graphic-like file/directory management
with VTxxx terminal interfaces.  It's an XTREE-like program, which does
more, with *much* fancier displays (based on the much fancier SGM$ rather
than curses library) and command features than could be done via Lynx
without at least doubling the size of the Lynx image, so there's no point
adding that to Lynx, when CSwing already exists.


>I wish Rob could be a *little* more long-winded about the changes he
>is making;  that way he probably could get more testers for his latest
>colour style changes.   
>[Are you listening Rob? :)]

        I also am unclear about Rob's plans.  I really want a break from
acting "in charge", without leaving people in the lurch, but it's now
almost 3 months since the v2.6 release, and neither the objectives for
a v2.7, nor the long-term objectives for Lynx, are clear yet.  My
impression from the code Rob has generated is that he has both the
skill and quality of judgment to "take charge" effectively, and he
seemed to have the motivation, though modest in his style of expression,
but appears short on time, as is Hiram for the temporary but important
"still works on VMS, too" Composite.

        More importantly, in all this time since Lynx was GPLed to be
supported by the Lynx User Community, we've gotten good support for
information, such as the Lynx Enhanced Pages, the Lynx-me services,
etc., but we haven't developed into an effective group for actual
code development.  That's in part a matter of more people needing to
acquire a real understanding of how the Lynx code works, but it also
requires a better meshing of "personalities" than we have, in some
cases, right now.

        There's also the problem that HTML standarization has fallen
apart, and a client like Lynx is left in the position of now always
"reverse engineering" for what the "major vendors" have actually done,
rather than being guided by truly open, publicly discussed drafts and
RFCs.  For someone who works on Lynx purely as a hobby, that takes a
lot of the fun out of it.

        See.  You don't have a monopoly on being verbose. :) :)

                                Fote

=========================================================================
 Foteos Macrides            Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research
 address@hidden         222 Maple Avenue, Shrewsbury, MA 01545
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