At 08:36 AM 10/4/00 -0700, Nathan Wiger wrote:
>I'm sorry, I was gonna bite my lip, but I've gotta say: Freezing RFC's
>like this when the following is true:
>
> > A lot of good, heated discussion was generated on the mailing lists. The
> > majority seems against using XML-DTD documentation, but granted there are
> > deficiencies in POD.
>
>Is absolutely, 100% against the entire idea of the RFC process.
I disagree. The RFC process is for generating ideas, not making decisions,
nor is any author obliged to include ideas he/she doesn't agree with;
that's why others can (or could) submit RFCs that contradict it, if they
want to. The author is no more obliged to include opposing opinions in
their RFC than the proposer of a bill in the House is required to include
contrary views. One doesn't necessarily merge two conflicting ideas to get
one that's better than both any more than you can cross a goldfish with a
Jacquard loom and get an underwater basket weaver. Better to let each
stand independently.
[In case it needs saying, this is absolutely nothing to do with my views on
the RFC in question.]
>But freezing something that everyone's against is a waste of everyone's
>time. Sorry, but it is.
At least one person appears not to be against it. In any case, Nat said
earlier that freezing doesn't mean discussion is over, nor that the RFC
can't be changed; just that the author has indicated that they don't
(currently) plan to make any more changes.
>And yes, I've retracted 7 of my own RFC's because the community was
>against them. The whole point of this Perl 6 process is to develop a
>language that the community thinks is the right direction, right?
No, the idea is to be an extension of Larry's creative thinking
process. Neither of us is deciding what goes into Perl 6, and neither is
the community - I hope. Larry is. Languages designed by committees or
votes don't work. I want a Perl that's the product of the vision of the
same mind that generated the one I love, along with whatever help he wants
to accept from the rest of us. Understand that I do not intend to belittle
the contributions made by anyone from the rest of the Perl pantheon on
downwards; I just believe Perl design is more art than science.
A brainstorming process can be wonderfully enhanced by the introduction of
contradictory or even nonsensical ideas. Not that I would have
intentionally done so myself. But great ideas have sprung from the
unorthodox thoughts provoked by such things.
--
Peter Scott
Pacific Systems Design Technologies
