Future of Risc OS - comp.sys.acorn.apps

Message from discussion Future of Risc OS

Steve Fryatt

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More options 24 Mar 2007, 23:24

Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.apps

From: Steve Fryatt <n...@stevefryatt.org.uk>

Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2007 23:24:45 GMT

Local: Sat 24 Mar 2007 23:24

Subject: Re: Future of Risc OS

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On 24 Mar, Alan Calder wrote in message
<4ec8cec754alan_cal...@orpheusmail.co.uk>:

> I agree. Not necessarily with all your priorities but many of them and
> some of your solutions. I have the impression that RO is rapidly
> becoming a hobbyist niche - the equivalent of model train enthusiasm
> with all that implies with its obsession with the correctness of company
> liveries and its disregard of the world outside the model area. I
> actually like using my RO machines and I would very much like to
> continue doing so without having to worry my head with the (to me)
> arcane niceties of programming issues.

The problem is, you don't get any new software without /someone/ worrying
about the "arcane niceties of programming issues".

While I'm not even going to try and defend what has been said in the most
recent Firefox spat, there does seem to be a worrying trend towards the
users attacking those at the sharp end when the awkward realities of RISC
OS software development are pointed out. If we're going to get anywhere,
users have to realise that developers will have good reasons for
indicating the way in which they wish development to proceed. That those
reasons are technical doesn't make them any less valid.

Developers are not argumentative for the sake of it; if a request can be
answered, it usually will be. But, users also *have* to accept replies
that are more like "that's not practical" or "yes, but X and Y will have
to be done first" without writing petulant posts to usenet claiming that
developers don't live in the real world. This is especially true if the
users don't wish to try and understand the "arcane niceties of programming
issues" which constrain what can be done given the resources available and
the best order in which to do it.

I'll get off my soapbox now.

--
Steve Fryatt - Leeds, England

http://www.stevefryatt.org.uk/

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