Re: [Gaim-devel] Gaim, Google Talk, and prpls

[Ethan B. <ebl...@cs...>]

Sean Egan spake unto us the following wisdom:
[snip]
> > There are many technical reasons to NOT split.  If we want to present a
> > way for a prpl to create multiple entries in the UI, I can get behind
> > that.  Anything more, and we're splitting for the wrong reasons, and I
> > object.
>=20
> I view this primarily as that; allowing the same plugin
> libjabbercommon to have multiple entries in the UI, via "plugins"
> which are nothing more than descriptions.

So; let me say that I support this kind of split *only* on the premise
that at some point prpls will cease to be "special" plugins (which is
profoundly stupid, anyway), and will simply become regular plugins
which register the ability to speak some protocol.  At that point, the
multiple plugins will simply become something like:

gaim_plugin_register_prpl("prpl-xmpp", "XMPP", &prpl_info);
gaim_plugin_register_prpl("prpl-gtalk", "Google Talk (XMPP)", &prpl_info);

If this is never going to happen, I don't think splitting things
Forever More is a good idea.  However, I think we all agree that the
current plugin infrastructure is baroque in general, and that the
prpl/plugin/loader trichotomy is just stupid and due for replacement,
and this proposal is very much made with eventual re-conflation in
mind.

Ethan

--=20
The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws [that have no remedy
for evils].  They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor
determined to commit crimes.
		-- Cesare Beccaria, "On Crimes and Punishments", 1764