Wendy Galovich says -
> That being the case, Brian, then the first thing I'd do is put
> those abcs out on the site in plain text format, rather than, or at
> least in addition to the zipped files. Every site I've seen listed on
> the ABC index on Chris Walshaw's site has the notation out in plain
> text, and there are some good reasons for doing it that way.
> If you made your tunes available in plain text, they'd be easily
> searchable by the same means that everyone else's are. Second, it would
> give visitors the option of downloading the specific tunes they want,
> rather than an entire file.
You are absolutely right. I am working on this at the moment along with a
bit of editorial work to remove a few errors and bring the tunes more into
line with what actually gets played around here. I am afraid that, because
the abc files are generated by software from Noteworthy files, they contain
no mode information and use the major tonic as shorthand for a sharps/flats
key signature. I'd rather not have to do that but I am not offered a choice.
Excuse the delay, but those in the UK will know that Lewes is having a
little local difficulty at the moment.
> these folks who work on these programs generously *donate* their time to it.
I am sorry that you think I have been ignoring that, so I will make my view
more explicit. I do not think that the fact that some developers are
volunteers entitles them to dictate to users what they can or cannot have in
abc. Nobody is forcing them to do the work so presumably they feel it has
its own rewards even if they are not monetary. I am sure they get great
satisfaction from exercising their creativity, serving the community, having
an ego trip or whatever. (At least two of those reasons apply to me.) In
fact one of the most vociferous arguers does charge for his software.
> If you are running into resistance, perhaps you should
> consider that in many of your posts, your tone has been, er, somewhat
> less than respectful.
I have always done my best to present a consistent, reasoned argument backed
up by evidence. Off list people have thanked me for that. Given the
response I get, you can understand their reluctance to speak out on list. On
one or two occasions I have been goaded into saying things I might regret but
when it comes to "ridicule, abuse and personal attacks" I am an amateur
compared with some of the members of this list. Phil Taylor once referred to
being in "Bryan bashing mode". I think I've been on the receiving end of a
lot more than I've given out.
If I have gone on at rather tedious length at times it is to try hack through
what seems to be a grim determination to misunderstand what I am saying.
Even you recently implied that I wanted to get rid of the tonic /mode system,
which I have never said, and that I wanted to restrict choice when I want to
extend it. It is the "We like it the way it is" school who want to restrict
choice and yet you don't criticise them for it.
Wearily (and a little damp around the feet)
Bryan
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