Re: Conceptual Integrity (Re: Update for Debian shells/rc-1.4-2)

Re: Conceptual Integrity (Re: Update for Debian shells/rc-1.4-2)

[Byron Rakitzis]

Thanks for the nice citation.

I didn't mean anything sinister by letting rc fly free with other GNU
tools -- as far as I know, rc is *already* included on the GNU tapes
and I just wanted to point out that it was time for a new version of rc
to propagate through the free software distribution channels.

I would love for someone to maintain rc, but given that no one has
stepped up to the task in the last 3-4 years it's time for me to turn
the crank once more. However, I absolutely cannot promise to continue
to maintain rc even at this extremely low level of activity.

Byron.

Re: Update for Debian shells/rc-1.4-2

[Byron Rakitzis]

Hi. I should mention that I am working less now with computers than I
have been in a while. I'm enrolled full time in the Utrechts
Conservatorium in the Netherlands, and I'm studying baroque flute and
bassoon.

That being said, I don't want to see rc unravel because of lack of
maintenance, and I would like to try to put together the fixes from the
last while and officially release it, so it gets picked up by the GNU
distrib and so on.

Given that I am stuck on my own with nothing but BSD on my pc, I will
have to ask for some volunteers to run trip tests. I'll mention it
again on the list once I get my act together so I can incorporate
these patches.

Byron.

Conceptual Integrity (Re: Update for Debian shells/rc-1.4-2)

[Richard Brooksby]

Byron Rakitzis wrote:

> That being said, I don't want to see rc unravel because of lack of
> maintenance, and I would like to try to put together the fixes from the
> last while and officially release it, so it gets picked up by the GNU
> distrib and so on.

  I am more convinced than ever. Conceptual integrity is central to
  product quality.  Having a system architect is the most important single
  step toward conceptual integrity...  After teaching a software
  engineering laboratory more than 20 times, I came to insist that student
  teams as small as four people choose a manager, and a separate
  architect.
    -- Fred Brooks, The Mythical Man-Month (20th Anniversary Edition), 1995

Imo, someone needs to be in charge of rc, so that it doesn't get randomly
hacked on by all and sundry.  Letting it fly free with the other GNU tools
is almost a guarantee of loss of conceptual integrity.  As a long time user
of rc I appreciate its quality, and would like to see quality maintained.

Just voicing my concern.

---
Richard Brooksby <richard@harlequin.co.uk>
Leader, Manager, and Developer / Memory Management / Harlequin
Tel. Int. +44 1954 785451 (voice)  +44 1954 785444 (fax)