[ic] Frustrated with IC 4.8

Ross Cousens interchange-users@interchange.redhat.com
Tue Sep 18 00:23:01 2001


So many messages over a trivial point, no ones about to be suddenly
convinced to take a different view point on open source/commercial software,
it's like being gay or straight, you're either born that way or you're not,
or I guess you could argue it's a circumstance of environment, either way
I'm sure my opinions on open source software were formed in the sandpit
where I learnt to "share". So I'd like to take this opportunity to reiterate
my previous question and ask what purpose does the "top" section serve in
layout design, where is it defined etc.? I can't see where it actually comes
out on the main page, or at the least could someone give me an idea as to
what document to look in?

Regards,
Ross Cousens

-----Original Message-----
From: interchange-users-admin@interchange.redhat.com
[mailto:interchange-users-admin@interchange.redhat.com]On Behalf Of Kat
Turner
Sent: Tuesday, 18 September 2001 2:04 PM
To: interchange-users@interchange.redhat.com
Subject: Re: [ic] Frustrated with IC 4.8



>The would be the beginning of the end. It doesn't make sense. It's not the
>responsibility of the developer to make sure, that the documentation gets
>understood by everybody  independent of their level of knowledge or
>expertise.
>
>There is no science, where the scientist adapt to the level of
>understanding of a highschool student, just to make sure everybody
>can understand quantum physics. If a chemist develops a drug his
>documentation for that drug will not be watered down to a level
>a ninth grader can read it like a science fiction novel.
>
>Somewhere along the road you can understand, that it's up to you to
>learn the tools you need. I wouldn't know any field where that wouldn't
>be the same.
>
>Birgitt Funk


I started this thread out of frustration of trying to understand why a great
program with great features had to be so difficult to learn and use. The
thought process needed in making your comments would fully explain why IC is
the way it is, close to a perfect program for it's intended purpose in
operation but harder to learn to use than it should be.

Most scientists are also teachers in our colleges and universities. They
take pride in sharing their knowledge with others. They document each step
of what they learn and making it available. If they kept what they knew to
themselves and expected others to catch up, as you seem to suggest, we would
find ourselves on the cutting edge of medieval technology.

If a chemist produced a drug that ended up available to the general public
for free, I think you would agree that we should expect reasonable
documentation on how to take it and what to expect when a ninth grader takes
it before it would be widely accepted.

I agree that anyone using a program with the complexity of IC should have
some knowledge of software programming, be it perl, html or whatever. I
don't believe we should have to start from scratch each time we want to make
a change in IC. I'm sorry I don't have the skills that you apparently do but
I can't apologize for not knowing everything.

Kat



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