Re: Is Org really so simple?

[David Rogers <davidandrewrogers@gmail.com>]

Jean Louis <bugs@gnu.support> writes:

> * Ihor Radchenko <yantar92@gmail.com> [2020-11-23 17:18]:
>   :PROPERTIES:
>   :CREATED:  [2020-11-23 Mon 18:42]
>   :ID:       edebb3e7-e755-4ecc-a5e8-a3353a3f5fd0
>   :END:
>> Dear Jean Louis,
>> 
>> Your description of the database reminds me how org-roam 
>> handles the
>> files - it also uses an external database for linking and 
>> allows quick
>> incremental search that does not really depend on where the
>> files/headings are stored.
>
> Sounds good, I can see there is graph database used.
>
>> However, what you are talking about is against org-mode 
>> philosophy,
>> as I know it.
>
> Only philosophy I know is that it is plain text. Is there any 
> official
> philosophy? I have no idea, at least manual does not give me
> references. I cannot find "philosophy", send me references.
>
> It says "to keep simple things simple". But Org is far far from 
> being
> simple any more. It offers good principles, paradigms and people 
> built
> many enhancements upon those. Speedily it becomes way much more 
> than
> simple.

Nothing was mentioned about keeping Org-mode simple. You’ve made a 
bad misreading there. It said keeping *simple things* simple - in 
other words, avoid taking a simple thing and making it 
complicated. Things that really are complicated (“in real life”) 
may *sometimes* be simplified, and that might be good - but “Make 
everything be simple” is not a valid goal for any useful piece of 
software. Often, a complicated thing must stay complicated.

In my opinion, this kind of “simple vs complex” discussion is like 
discussing the quality of competitive sports teams. It’s simple at 
one level - which team has the best players? But in reality, 
there’s a lot more to it: Is there enough money? Do these players 
work well with this coach? etc. In other words, support and 
infrastructure. If you focus only on the simple part, it becomes 
like taking that good group of players and putting them on the 
moon by themselves. In reality, they can only be a good team when 
all of the complicated messy infrastructure is functioning, and 
without the infrastructure, they don’t function correctly.

Org-mode is a clever way of “leveraging” Emacs. Org-mode isn’t a 
self-contained application - instead, it’s more like a (large) 
Emacs plug-in.




Or maybe this:

Copying the design of a hydroelectric dam and generator, and 
building an exact duplicate in the middle of a desert, isn’t 
effective. The concept is simple (the turbine spins, it generates 
electricity) - but for it to work, you have to have the right 
thing to build it on top of. Rivers are harder to build than 
hydroelectric generators are. :) You don’t carry around a 
hydroelectric dam looking for a place to put it - you only start 
building after you’ve found a good river, and you build 
differently depending on the circumstances.

-- 
David