Juanma Barranquero wrote:
> Perhaps so, but on the other hand, many a project, some of them quite
> big, have been able to select a dVCS without spending a year arguing
> or failing into any trap.
>   

Sure, and, mostly the same way:  the boss(es) just pick one,
somewhat arbitrarily but perhaps with some intuition about
what will work out.


>>  Bad choices of X happen but, they tend to get ironed out well so
>>  when it comes time to pick an X, there's no great reason to spend
>>  too much time deliberating over it.
>>     
>
> There's a difference between "not [...] to spend too much time" and
> not spending time at all.
>
>   

Sure.  I'm not trying to argue with you -- just interpret for you and
maybe help you feel more comfortable with the decision.

There's some arbitrary amount of time to think about it.  Then some
best-guess decision.    GNU tends to work by, when such infathomable
problems arise, let RMS roll the dice, so to speak: he times and makes
the "impossible" choices.   In this case, ESR, bless his heart, seems to 
have
prompted quite a few list members to go back and refresh their
perspective on dvcs and spout some observations and opinions.   So,
RMS got a fair amount of input.   No one "argument in favor of system
X" has obviously prevailed or obviously could prevail but the decision
wasn't taken in a vacuum.

The harsh version of the interpretation might be "Well, GNU is
RMS' project so it's his call.  Like or lump it."   I'm just trying to point
out that that's not a crazy policy because, in calling for a different
approach to the decision, you're suggesting a (pretty radical) change
in policy.

>>  (Maybe, though, it is about time for a new task list and "vision
>>  sketch" of a complete GNU.   For example, an effort could be made
>>  to assemble a candidate FSF/GNU distribution with the expectation
>>  that the effort will fail, but will yield a list of what work remains to
>>  be done.)
>>     
>
> That would be interesting.
>
>   

Thanks.  I think so, too.

-t


>              Juanma
>
>