Which proves this list not only allows OPINIONS, but is UNMODERATED. Terry Brownell --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > The OSCAR Diaries - Initial Entry ( LONG! ) > > Hello everybody, this is the first entry of what > I hope will be a fairly regular update of the > activities & thoughts of the OSCAR Project. > > For those of you who don't know, > > OSCAR: :REBOL > > or > > OSCAR: Open Source Code Aka REBOL > > A project I raised on the list last week upon > which nobody except Ryan Cole commented directly, > rather everybody preferred to debate the merits > & wisdom of open source software / REBOL. > > REBOL is not Open Source & isn't likely to be > anytime soon. > Carl & REBOL Technologies have frequently stated > this > right from the early days, that is their right & I > fully > respect their position. > > I believe in the principle of Free Software & the > practical > benefits of open source code for quality of code & > learning, > however I also believe in the developers freedom to > choose > how to distribute their software and that is why > Carl & REBOL > have my full respect & support for the great work > they are doing. > > OSCAR is not Open Source for Open Source Code's > sake. > Rather it is because I do not have all the necessary > skills > or answers or knowledge regarding Language & > Interpreter > implementation. > > Just now the OSCAR Project is only me ( Mark Dickson > ) & my thoughts. > > Anybody is free to join me & contribute to the > project whether > through supplying Code, providing thoughts & > comments & examples > of REBOL behaviour & theories on it's > implementation, or by > helping to Document the project & write a Formal > Specification > for REBOL the Language until such times as Carl & RT > see fit to > provide us with one. > > So consider this as your official invitation to help > out in > whichever way you think you can contribute. > > Only Ryan Cole commented directly on the project > saying he > would not contribute to it nor recommend anybody to > support it. > I respect your decision Ryan but hope maybe in > future you > might see fit to change your mind, the door is > always open > for you. > > Why am I doing this ? > > Some people have suggested that by pursuing open > source REBOL > at this time might hurt REBOL in a commercial sense > or might > fragment REBOL as a language & technology. > > I don't agree with this and is not the reason for > OSCAR. > OSCAR will attempt REBOL, act-like REBOL, adhere-to > REBOL. > If a feature doesn't behave like REBOL behaves then > it won't > go in OSCAR. > > I PROMISE I will not Fork REBOL, including any bugs. > We may wish to discuss with RT implementation > features & bugs > etc. but that's what happens already on this list > anyway. > > Regarding Commercially damaging REBOL Technologies, > I refute > this also. A fully working open source REBOL Clone > will open > doors for REBOL as a technology. > For example; > > 1. On DEBIAN Systems & those who only use Free / > Open Source Software. > > 2. In Enterprises where a Technology is only > considered if there > are 2 independent implementations or suppliers to > ensure continuity > of availability. > > It is my belief that anything that help's to promote > the use > & availability of REBOL creates a bigger potential > market for > REBOL Technologies as well as benefiting those on > this list > with an interest in the future commercial use of > REBOL. > > All that out of the way the true reasons for OSCAR: > :REBOL > is that I am full of admiration for Carl's design's > & achievements. > Technology wise, He truly is a master worth > emulating & following. > > I want to REALLY understand REBOL. I believe that > the language > is so good & powerful that I want to work out how > the magic is done. > That is the true reason for OSCAR. It is open source > because I need > other peoples help & want other people with a > similar interest to > share the fun. > > This is how Carl & others learned, I've read > articles about REBOL > where Carl describes himself as a bit of a language > & operating systems > fanatic and he learned by writing his own > implementations. If self help > and learning through practice is how Carl gained his > skills, surely > this is the best way for us to proceed. > > This way we can learn by standing on the shoulders > of Giants. > We already have the answer book, let's figure out > the true nature > of the questions Carl & REBOL solve. > > I myself have an understanding of ANSI C & Modula-2 > / Pascal languages. > Iam currently reading books on language & > interpreter implementations > in Scheme. For those of you interested these books > are; > The Structure & Interpretation of Computer Programs. > Programming & Meta-Programming in Scheme. > > In REBOL Iam trying to get my head around what a > BLOCK! really is > and how OBJECTS! & PORTS! differ from blocks in both > an abstract > & practical implementation sense. Questions like > these fill my > head as well as things like, Are REBOL datatypes! > like Structures > in C or Records in Pascal? Is 'Print native! an > extension of > C printf function & Pascal Writeln etc? > > The First Goal for OSCAR is to write a toy REBOL > Interpreter, > this will have the following capabilities; > > Simple Arithmetic ( Prefix first - Infix Later ) > Defining Words > Printing a Word or String > > These are basic initial operations, which involve > input, output, > functions, operators & words and involve > manipulating data on > the stack for evaluation. > > Those with the necessary skill & knowledge can > provide additional > functionality like files & network operation & > advanced datatypes. > Any HELP offered is welcomed. > > When all this in depth technical & abstract rubbish > is not filling > my head, I will be contributing to the REBMail > project with my > REEMACS thoughts & designs and when Iam not doing > that === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send instant messages & get email alerts with Yahoo! 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