On Dec 10, 2007 12:39 PM, root <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Steve, > > >> See *that* is exactly the point. When I talked with one of the Maple > >> founders > >> about why Maple started in the 1980's, it was precisely because the > >> mathematicians working on the software didn't want to duplicate tapes and > >> mail them around the country. We're no different. > > > >What exactly is your message here? That a lack of concern with > >logistics on the part of programmers has doomed collaborative projects > >of the past to a closed-source commercial model? That mathematicians > >working on Sage should be concerned with the logistics of software > >distribution? > > > >The former is certainly true; the latter raises a question about the > >effective allocation of resources. I expect that to get this > >logistical stuff done, it'd a lot easier for Sage to recruit a > >technically-adept fan of open source with a decent math background > >than to teach an (arbitrary) mathematician about software > >distribution. > > > >My point is that relinquishing control of logistics to non-experts > >needn't be the death-knell of the project. Down the road you could > >have a nonprofit "Sage Foundation" which does distrubution, handles > >integrates and polices code coming in from academic institutions, but > >does almost no real "development" itself. This model is not without > >precedent. > > As a long term (since 1997) open source developer I have to make the > comment that you have a bit of a "corporate bias" when you suggest > "relinquishing control of logistics to non-experts". > > There are a lot of tasks that make up any software project and any > given person has some task they do better than others (e.g. math). > I often find people who say "I'm a mathematician" as a reason why > they don't document, package, integrate, and maintain their code. > I often find people who can't be bothered with source code control, > patching, merging, or, in this case, polish-package-distribution tasks. > > My reaction has finally grown into "fine, let your work die". > > Almost every dead software project on sourceforge died because > the originator or team felt that some task "was not their job". > And that task was critical to the success of the project. As > projects grow beyond one person the luxury of having others do > things breeds the thought that some tasks become "not my job". > > Look left. Look right. Ask the net. See any volunteers? No? > Then the task is on your desk. > > Is it important for the project? No? Ignore it. Yes? Do it. > > It's ALL your job.
-1 Thanks for your perspective. However, I tend to disagree. The whole Sage development model is built on cooperation and to a huge extent that means trusting other people to help out, deciding on what people are good at and encouraging them to do just that, etc. When somebody comes to me and wants to contribute to Sage my top priority is to understand precisely what they love and are good at, instead of preaching to them about how everything is going to be their job. Here's a verbatim log from an irc session 2 hours ago to illustrate exactly: 09:38 < faik> I am student from Bosnia and Herzegovina. I found Sage project on web and I'm interested to join. Can some one help me? 09:38 < williamstein> hi faik. sure. 09:38 < williamstein> What's your background / interest in math / computing? 09:39 < faik> I'm studing Computer Science 09:39 < williamstein> cool. 09:39 < williamstein> The first thing you should do is work through the sage tutorial, if you haven't already. 09:40 < williamstein> Also, subscribe to or at least browse through sage-devel (the google group). 09:40 < williamstein> See what interests and excites you the most. 09:40 < williamstein> Then offer to help with it. 09:40 < williamstein> Sage development is all about working on things that are interesting to you. 09:42 < williamstein> Also, one useful thing would be if you could write a short article / intro about sage in your native language. 09:42 < faik> i have subscribe to google group 09:42 < williamstein> ok. 09:42 < williamstein> welcome. 9:43 < faik> tnx :) 09:44 < faik> sure I will write an article about Sage 09:46 < williamstein> Thanks! -- William --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ To post to this group, send email to sage-devel@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sage-devel URLs: http://sage.scipy.org/sage/ and http://modular.math.washington.edu/sage/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
