Re: [Axiom-developer] Axiom community goals

[Ralf Hemmecke]

On 07/07/2007 10:52 PM, Weiss, Juergen wrote:
> Tim,
>
> in my opinion the Axiom community consists of the people
> interested in Axiom as users or developers and taking part
> in the discussions on the Axiom-developer mailing list.
> Their goals are certainly quite diverse. It is a gross
> error to equate their goals with your goals which you described
> several times in detail.

Quite right. Actually, out of my head I only know that Axiom should be 
one day a super CAS, well documented by pamphlets and a system that can 
be extended by drag&drop.

I can agree with that. But I don't agree that Axiom should be developed 
by 4 or 5 people. One way to achieve the above mentioned goals is to 
attract more developers. Oh yes, and I believe in order to achieve the 
"Axiom goals" in 30 years, it would be temporarily wise to relax some 
goal like requiring 100% perfect documentation. Look at the code today. 
That are syntactically correct pamphlets, but most of them are nothing 
than actual code files. I say it again, There will never be anything as 
nice as you (Tim) dream of if only 4 developers do it. Axiom desparately 
needs more manpower. That is not a goal. That is a way to achieve the dream.

> I would for example guess that besides you there are not more
> than one or two others who believe in literate programming
> in general and have made any substantial contribution during
> the last years. And if it comes to literate programming as
> executed in the project I wonder if there are more than zero.

Oh, sorry. I now believe in literate programming. And I am grateful to 
Tim that he has repeated that its importance again and again. No LP 
should not be sacrificed as the longterm goal of Axiom. However, as most 
people feel, it is not the easiest task to write a literate program. 
There is no guideline how it should be done. It is an experiment to see 
how good LP can be applied to a living community project.

> I would assume that most people on the list did not openly
> question your goals in respect for your work and your dedication
> to the Axiom project. But you should not assume that 
> your goals are their goals.

It's not about questioning the goals. But I have the impression that one 
person has set the goals and the only choise I have is:
a) follow the goals strictly,
b) leave the project.
Nothing completely fits for me. Poor me.

Ralf