Re: Issues with emacs

[rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com>]

On Jun 25, 12:45 pm, Helmut Eller <eller.hel...@gmail.com> wrote:
> * rusi [2012-06-25 05:51] writes:

> > If the issue is technical, then encouraging development is out-of-
> > bounds
> > If the issue is social -- how to get today's kids interested in emacs
> > -- and I start with the slogan LEARN ELISP -- I need to go to
> > marketing kindergarten
>
> I have my doubts that "kids" will make a better Emacs.  IMO good
> programs are usually built by experienced and skilled developers.  I
> don't think that it's accident that RMS wrote Emacs and GCC.  To make a
> better Emacs, we would need highly skilled (and probably well paid)
> people.

There are two extreme points:
- anyone and everyone adds code to the difficult/critical parts
resulting in a mess and breakdown
- no one codes; after a while emacs dies

Clearly the sweet spot is inbetween: the right number of committed,
capable programers to keep developing refactoring progressing

The thread Tom alluded to earlier http://thread.gmane.org/gmane.emacs.devel/126892
suggests what in systems thinking is called a reinforcing-loop or
vicious cycle: http://www.systems-thinking.org/theWay/sre/re.htm

Too few programmers working on too many new areas
Spread too thin for doing more 'less ciritcal' work
Cant mentor/tutor new wannabie devs
The wannabies feel unwelcome and leave depleting the already depleted
population of devs

Tom wrote:
> Some of today's kids will be experienced and skilled developers
> someday, but they will only use their skill to improve emacs if
> they get to like it first as "kids".

Very well put