Re: Idea for determining what users use

[storm@cua.dk (Kim F. Storm)]

Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org> writes:

>     1) What additional benefits do we get from "annoying" users with the
>        proposed "usage polls", compared to the simple scheme above?
> 
> There are cases where we have simply removed a feature rather than
> just putting a file into the `obsolete' subdirectory.  I am not
> thinking of using this for just moving something into the `obsolete'
> subdirectory.

Ok, but considering the frequency by which we make new major
releases of emacs, it may take us 2-3 years to determine whether
a given feature can be "safely" removed:

In emacs 21.1, we had a feature X, that we want to remove.

So in emacs 21.5, we mark feature X so that usage is reported back to
the emacs team.

In the 2-3 years before we release emacs 22.1, we have gathered enough
"no responses" to decide feature X may be removed in 22.1.


IMO, it would be much simpler just to move the feature to obsolete in
21.5, and if we don't get any feedback on the feature, we may decide to
remove it in 22.1 -- or just leave it in.


There's just so little useful information to gain from the proposed
"usage-polls" that I still think it's not worth spending our precious
resources on.

-- 
Kim F. Storm <storm@cua.dk> http://www.cua.dk