Thoughts on when to put/remove applications to/from CVS

[Neil Stevens]

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Wednesday December 18, 2002 02:26, Michael Brade wrote:
> On Wednesday 18 December 2002 21:46, Neil Stevens wrote:
> > I'd suggest
> >
> > 8: An app new to the release should not duplicate most of the
> > functionality of another application in the release, unless the new
> > application has significant differences in scope, target audience, or
>
> Indeed, much better wording :-)

Unfortunlately I cut it off.. I meant "or functionality." heh

> > How useful is KDE as a desktop supposed to be, then?  If KDE is to
> > shun every niche, then KDE won't be useful to anyone who needs a
> > niche.
> >
> > What are packages like kdegraphics, kdegames, kdeadmin for, if not a
> > place to house apps targeted at one niche?
>
> Hmm, true, at least partly. IMHO almost everybody doing networking,
> graphics etc and installing the corresponding kdeblah package needs
> nearly all of the contained apps. However, who is going to use an app
> like kpovmodeler? Well, don't get me wrong, I definitely don't need kfax
> either but the point is: think about the number of crying people when
> removing an app divided by the size of the app :)
>
> PS: I don't like me bitching on kpovmodeler, and I hope I don't offend
> anyone, it's just the best example for this topic.

If we leave apps in, then it's likely there won't be *anybody* crying.

If an app has large data files and bloats the download, or is otherwise 
broken, then people will complain.  That is fairly rare, though, since 
kdeartwork now houses large graphics, and kdeaddons houses plugins 
libraries.

Take aKtion.  It's now getting complaints, but only because for some people 
it was overriding a newer, more useful service.  So unless someone comes 
along willing to defend the app, it's not going to be in KDE 3.2.  But 
unmaintained apps are fairly rare, too.

In general, though, I don't see how a relatively small, unassuming niche 
app can hurt to be in the release.  Or to use a formulation like yours, if 
the number of complaints multiplied by the number of compressed bytes is 
small, and the app otherwise meets standards, then it's safe to stay/be 
included. :-)

- -- 
Neil Stevens - neil@qualityassistant.com
"The nearest I can make it out, 'Love your Enemies' means, 'Hate your
Friends'." - Benjamin Franklin
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.0.6 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: For info see http://www.gnupg.org

iD8DBQE+APvBf7mnligQOmERAgxYAJ9JPWWwbgaokMkv4/cp9lJLUvlzAQCfV22m
PX/cpPqhH/fayonV/kDXkt8=
=0jrD
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----