docutils-develop

[Docutils-develop] Building the Docutils community

[David G. <go...@py...>]

I came across this thought-provoking quote via an article found on Slashdot:

    Anyway, it's an design pattern: "good ideas and bad code build
    communities, the other three combinations do not". This is
    extremely hard to understand, it's probably the most
    counter-intuitive thing about open source dynamics.

    Stefano Mazzocchi,
<http://archives.real-time.com/pipermail/cocoon-devel/2000-October/003023.ht
ml>

In order to build a more active community around Docutils, should I be
writing sloppier code?  I can see the relation: bad code in a good
project generates bug reports and patches from potential contributors,
and provides a gradual path to greater involvement.

Or is my code bad enough already?

;)

-- 
David Goodger  <go...@py...>  Open-source projects:
  - Python Docutils: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/
    (includes reStructuredText: http://docutils.sf.net/rst.html)
  - The Go Tools Project: http://gotools.sourceforge.net/

Re: [Docutils-develop] Building the Docutils community

[Aahz <aa...@py...>]

On Wed, Jan 08, 2003, David Goodger wrote:
>
> Or is my code bad enough already?

Yes.
-- 
Aahz (aa...@py...)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/

There may or may not be a smiley above.  

Re: [Docutils-develop] Building the Docutils community

[David G. <go...@py...>]

Aahz wrote:
> On Wed, Jan 08, 2003, David Goodger wrote:
>> Or is my code bad enough already?
> 
> Yes.

I appreciate the candor.

> -- 
> Aahz (aa...@py...)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/
> 
> There may or may not be a smiley above.

The question now is, was that last line intentional, or was Disraeli simply
due for retirement?

-- David Goodger    go...@py...

Re: [Docutils-develop] Building the Docutils community

[Aahz <aa...@py...>]

On Thu, Jan 09, 2003, David Goodger wrote:
> Aahz wrote:
>> On Wed, Jan 08, 2003, David Goodger wrote:
>>>
>>> Or is my code bad enough already?
>> 
>> Yes.
> 
> I appreciate the candor.
> 
>> -- 
>> Aahz (aa...@py...)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/
>> 
>> There may or may not be a smiley above.
> 
> The question now is, was that last line intentional, or was Disraeli simply
> due for retirement?

Yes, it was intentional.  Seriously, I wouldn't call your code "bad", but
it is definitely difficult.  It's still not clear to me (even after
working with the code off-and-on for several months, mostly off) to what
extent that's simply due to the complexity of the problem you're trying
to solve versus design/documentation issues versus being incomplete and
rough versus Brooks's "write one to throw away".  One of these days I'll
get a better grip on XML in general; then I think I'll be able to better
evaluate what you're doing.
-- 
Aahz (aa...@py...)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/

"I used to have a .sig but I found it impossible to please everyone..."  --SFJ