[GRASS5] Re: [Fwd: whinging about GRASS again]

[Russell Nelson]

Mark P. Line writes:
 > Russell Nelson said:
 > > This is the "Everybody gets taught ARCinfo, so if they find GRASS
 > > hard, it's their teacher's fault" excuse.
 > 
 > It is not an excuse. It is an explanation, and one that holds up well in
 > my experience.

The difference between an explanation and an excuse is that an excuse
is used as a reason for inaction.

 > So the statement that "public domain software is open source software" is
 > incorrect.

Public domain software is open source software.  If you think it
isn't, then we need to add "Educate Mark Line" to our TODO list.  The Open
Source effect isn't caused by simply choosing an OSI approved license.

 > [Why not say] if that's all you want to do, GRASS is the wrong package?

I think you're failing to admit the possibility that people's needs
will change and grow.  What was once a need for something simple
(which you don't need GRASS for) can easily change into something
complicated which only GRASS can do.  I could probably use Thuban to
create a map of access point locations.  But if I then want to make a
map of areas covered by line of sight from those access points, I need
GRASS.  If I want to increase the elevation of forested land (to
account for reduced line of sight), I need GRASS.

I should have started with GRASS in the first place, only .... the
GRASS community sends people who "only want to make maps" away.  The
GRASS software deters people who "only want to make maps".

 > In the case of GRASS, it's up to the GRASS community to decide the user
 > demographics that it wants to pursue. It's not up to the President of the
 > Open Source Initiative. Right?

I cannot tell you want you should want.  I can only tell you what I
think is necessary for you to get what you say you want.  I can tell
you that I hear constant complaints about the small size of the GRASS
developer base.  If you want more developers, you need more users.
That's how open source works.  If you're constantly worrying (as I can
see Mark Line is) about keeping the number of users low so as not to
overwhelm the developers, well, that's a losing proposition.

-- 
--My blog is at angry-economist.russnelson.com  | The laws of physics cannot
Crynwr sells support for free software  | PGPok | be legislated.  Neither can
521 Pleasant Valley Rd. | +1 315-323-1241 cell  | the laws of countries.
Potsdam, NY 13676-3213  | +1 212-202-2318 VOIP  |