Re: Improving the documentation aesthetics

On Mon, 28 Mar 2005, Francis James Franklin wrote:

> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2005 15:56:40 +0100
> From: Francis James Franklin <postmaster@alinameridon.plus.com>
> To: AbiWord Developer Mailing List <abiword-dev@abisource.com>
> Subject: Re: Improving the documentation aesthetics
>
>
> Hi,
>
> I have been using Linux for about 13 years now, and confess that I
> detest Windows and have concerns over some of Apple's politics, so I
> sympathise with your desire to encourage the use of Linux.

Note I specifically made reference to both Linux and BSD. Open platforms
dont put up the same road blocks to development and tend to provide
helpful infrastructure. (If they are smart proprietary platforms can do
this too to a certain extent.)

> That said, the priority of AbiWord has always been cross-platform
> support and I dislike the idea of introducing platform advocacy into
> the project.

I'm very concerned by your platform specific changes which I think is
advocating specific platforms before Abiword as a whole. You dont even
seem to be trying to suggest these changes for Abiword as a whole which
immediately makes me all the more sceptical that they are good ideas.

I think Abiword could afford to be a little bit more honest about the fact
that some platforms, particularly prorietary ones are harder to maintain
and integrate with. People can and will make platform (or in our case
toolkit might be a more accurate) specific changes but there is no need
to do it just for the sake of it. The additional maintainance burder must
be made clear. I should make it clear that this is pretty low down the
list of priorities but you keep doing things that make me very concerned,
I just wish I had access to the Mac platform and could take a closer look.

Sincerely

Alan Horkan.
Received on Mon Mar 28 20:09:04 2005