To awk is human, to GUI divine ...?

[Bill Hargrove]

>Glenn C. Kroeger writes (in part):

>> If GRASS and OpenGIS are going to prosper they must accomodate the way
>> that new users use computers! ....  More importantly, managers want
>> to use data this way, and they sure as hell aren't going to screw
>> around with awk.....  If you want to know what people want, look at
>> what they spend money on.
>
and Nick Reddingius adds:
>Is THAT ever right on!

>> .... But that means we have to address ease of use issues. The
>> attitude "let them use awk" is exactly what GRASS doesn't need.

>That is the point all commercial vendors make, and Glenn is right.
>GRASS may be the greatest system, but it will be a footnote in GIS-
>land if it doesn't keep up in both technical features and ease of
>use.


     I don't think that I agree with these guys.  GRASS has always had the
philosophy of being for "installations with more talent than money".  That,
after all, is the value of distributing source code - if it doesn't do what
you want, then you are free to fix it.

     And, as for students, I recall the old adage wherein one can give a
man a fish to take care of his hunger, or one can teach a man to fish, and
he will never go hungry again.

     Therefore, I would reverse the subject line, and persons who want
additional fields in site lists who have even a rudimentary familiarity
with awk can do as they will.



Nick Reddingius
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