From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Path: news.gmane.org!not-for-mail From: Samuel El-Borai Newsgroups: gmane.emacs.devel Subject: Re: RFC - cleaning up /etc Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2014 16:09:32 +0100 Message-ID: References: <20140109140226.57D6C38085A@snark.thyrsus.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: plane.gmane.org Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=089e013a12f8f887f104ef8b003a X-Trace: ger.gmane.org 1389280524 8094 80.91.229.3 (9 Jan 2014 15:15:24 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@ger.gmane.org NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2014 15:15:24 +0000 (UTC) Cc: Emacs developers To: "Eric S. Raymond" Original-X-From: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Thu Jan 09 16:15:30 2014 Return-path: Envelope-to: ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org Original-Received: from lists.gnu.org ([208.118.235.17]) by plane.gmane.org with esmtp (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1W1HKO-0002Oe-S9 for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Thu, 09 Jan 2014 16:15:25 +0100 Original-Received: from localhost ([::1]:52554 helo=lists.gnu.org) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1W1HKO-0001JQ-De for ged-emacs-devel@m.gmane.org; Thu, 09 Jan 2014 10:15:24 -0500 Original-Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:4830:134:3::10]:58628) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1W1HKJ-0001J5-79 for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Thu, 09 Jan 2014 10:15:20 -0500 Original-Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1W1HKD-0005QX-BC for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Thu, 09 Jan 2014 10:15:19 -0500 Original-Received: from mail-ob0-x233.google.com ([2607:f8b0:4003:c01::233]:50741) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1W1HKD-0005QG-4u for emacs-devel@gnu.org; Thu, 09 Jan 2014 10:15:13 -0500 Original-Received: by mail-ob0-f179.google.com with SMTP id wm4so3359508obc.24 for ; Thu, 09 Jan 2014 07:15:12 -0800 (PST) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20120113; h=mime-version:sender:in-reply-to:references:from:date:message-id :subject:to:cc:content-type; bh=Bf7TglJAWrLI7BSVCbZwzctuDYh2J6ao9fEzMgEbxT8=; b=MQmg0Ghp+QcOEdEG5+rLmZNAcx1k68sgMBTzmmSN+mc0eVyVQYb5epVoAbJDUZZe3O AWGphBb+xrBExJLD2gVVwl1P0jszgBWUtED13PMw7cTt3SViv/m9ZDe7iCfjvYw81MZP HkyyBm+jK7GPgnG3/YFY1Cuq7sJH0sYOLxzntoPO7iNxaTgE39qAv57XFrCYDD89xA1p 2yd70auOma2uI0hiworBUk/EAooUJpxSO9UQuS+jkp6d2xjMCkBIvDbGthn5nSM0h0e2 snlB6e/TuzXmLWkPqRkbefapYIwoNhcnbos20bV3O0R2U0VHGRrmLJq40aqiWiXa84Z4 q49w== X-Received: by 10.60.80.137 with SMTP id r9mr2681410oex.30.1389280202621; Thu, 09 Jan 2014 07:10:02 -0800 (PST) Original-Received: by 10.76.75.70 with HTTP; Thu, 9 Jan 2014 07:09:32 -0800 (PST) In-Reply-To: <20140109140226.57D6C38085A@snark.thyrsus.com> X-Google-Sender-Auth: ljIh8som4MycbfIK8BIbWtSuuGo X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: Error: Malformed IPv6 address (bad octet value). X-Received-From: 2607:f8b0:4003:c01::233 X-BeenThere: emacs-devel@gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.14 Precedence: list List-Id: "Emacs development discussions." List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Original-Sender: emacs-devel-bounces+ged-emacs-devel=m.gmane.org@gnu.org Xref: news.gmane.org gmane.emacs.devel:167922 Archived-At: --089e013a12f8f887f104ef8b003a Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 I don't know if it's The True Probleme that, if solved will bring to emacs a whole new batch of serious developers ready to spend their life to improve it. I don't think it is the case. But I'm with you on this issue. It's would be great to leave the jokes outside the "real" data. 2014/1/9 Eric S. Raymond > This is an issue completely orthogonal to the git transition, but > also motivated by my concern that the Emacs codebase and project raise > needless barriers to contribution. > > /etc is a mess. Over the years it's become a dumping ground for > miscellany. There are no fewer that four different files of > miscellaneous jokes! And a cookie recipe! And...stuff. > > I think this matters because newbies who try to browse it get lost. > Important things like the GNU Manifesto (yes, I agree it should > be treated as important despite my well-known disagreements with it) > are half-submerged in trivia, clutter, and files that only programs > rather than humans care about. > > I propose to fix this with a reorganization. /etc should be the data > directory for files used by Lisp and programs in the suite. The files > meant exclusively for human browsing - the jokes, the cookie recipe, > the Manifesto, the hacking guides - should move to a new directory > designated for such content. > > That directory should have a proper README of it own mapping the > content, so newbies can quickly grasp what is there and what they > might want to look at. > > Discuss. > -- > Eric S. Raymond > > "The power to tax involves the power to destroy;...the power to > destroy may defeat and render useless the power to create...." > -- Chief Justice John Marshall, 1819. > > --089e013a12f8f887f104ef8b003a Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I don't know if it's The True Probleme that, = if solved will bring to emacs a whole new batch of serious developers ready= to spend their life to improve it.
I don't think it is the c= ase.

But I'm with you on this issue. It's would be g= reat to leave the jokes outside the "real" data.


2014/1/9 Eric S. R= aymond <esr@thyrsus.com>
This is an issue completely orthogonal to th= e git transition, but
also motivated by my concern that the Emacs codebase and project raise
needless barriers to contribution.

/etc is a mess. =A0Over the years it's become a dumping ground for
miscellany. =A0There are no fewer that four different files of
miscellaneous jokes! And a cookie recipe! And...stuff.

I think this matters because newbies who try to browse it get lost.
Important things like the GNU Manifesto (yes, I agree it should
be treated as important despite my well-known disagreements with it)
are half-submerged in trivia, clutter, and files that only programs
rather than humans care about.

I propose to fix this with a reorganization. =A0/etc should be the data
directory for files used by Lisp and programs in the suite. =A0The files meant exclusively for human browsing - the jokes, the cookie recipe,
the Manifesto, the hacking guides - should move to a new directory
designated for such content.

That directory should have a proper README of it own mapping the
content, so =A0newbies can quickly grasp what is there and what they
might want to look at.

Discuss.
--
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 <a href=3D"http://www.catb.org/~esr/">Eric= S. Raymond</a>

"The power to tax involves the power to destroy;...the power to
destroy may defeat and render useless the power to create...."
=A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 -- Chief Justice John Marshall, 1819.


--089e013a12f8f887f104ef8b003a--