Re: [Bug-gne]Distributed design

[Jean-Daniel Fekete]

Christopher Mahan wrote:

> GNE is a author-controlled document archival, linking and retrieval system
> that is worldwide, anonymous, self-replicating, self-indexing, and
> http-based.
>
> How long does it take to get really good at Perl? 6 mo?  1 year? 3 years?

It all depends on your experience.  And you can write non obfusctated code if
you want.  It's just that Perl gurus tend to show off by using the trickier
syntax when they can.
Starting from the examples around, modifying a Perl form manager would take you
from 1 hour to 1 week depending on the complexity.

>
> TEI is meant to encode things that are on paper, yes. What is the element
> tag for "insert video here" in TEI?
>

<xptr doc="gne.mov"/>

>
> As far as the web browser, that's an idea. I could write it in VB6 and have
> it use MSXML3 to get the data to/from the web... (said I could, not would)
>
> The OS? Aren't there enough out there already?
>
> Redesign the world. Well, when NASA wants to launch a new orbiter to Mars,
> they go back to the drawing-board, they don't get off-the-shelf parts...
>
> The kind of system I envision does not exist yet, and won't for some time.
> Let's be visionary too and imagine what it will be 5-10 years down the road,
> and aim for that) instead of making a me-too Yahoo.
>
> As far as the tools: yes, that's true, We'll make them, document them, and
> maintain them. More reason to design them right.
>
> >From: "Jean-Daniel Fekete" <address@hidden>
> >
> >Funny attitude, really!
> >You are not working on an encyclopedia project (I still can't really figure
> >out what GNE is).
> >You don't want to use softwares such as Perl that are mature, if not always
> >readable.
> >You don't want to use TEI technology because it is meant to code things
> >from
> >paper, so you will use your own.
> >
> >Are you going to rewrite you WEB browser and OS as well because they were
> >not meant to be used for GNE?
> >Aren't you falling into the "redesign the world" trap?
> >
> >Every tool GNE will create, GNE will have to maintain it and document it.
> >Why not using the free tools and format that exist around.  If Perl is
> >complicated, take time to learn it. If TEI is complicated, take (hopefully
> >less) time to learn it.
> >
> >I can help for TEI, I am currently working on a set of small tools to
> >translate back and force from RTF/TeX/HTML to simple TEI and back (I have
> >this last part already working).
> >
> >   Jean-Daniel Fekete
> >   Ecole des Mines de Nantes, 4 rue Alfred Kastler, La Chantrerie,
> >   BP 20722, 44307 Nantes Cedex 03, France
> >   Voice: +33-2-51-85-82-08  | Fax: +33-2-51-85-82-49
> >   address@hidden | http://www.emn.fr/fekete/
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: Christopher Mahan <address@hidden>
> >To: <address@hidden>
> >Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2001 6:39 PM
> >Subject: [Bug-gne]Distributed design
> >
> >
> > > First, my wife is not feeling well lately so I'm doubling as a full-time
> > > nurse :(
> > >
> > > Anyway.
> > >
> > > I looked at php4 and it looks like something I can sink my teeth into
> >and
> >be
> > > fairly productive (the key word) quickly.
> > >
> > > Looking at TEI, I am not extremely convinced that it would be good for
> >us,
> > > since no one else is really doing what we do, and because it is really a
> >way
> > > to render paper (book) formats in xml, which is far from what we are
> >really
> > > doing.
> > >
> > > I'll finish the contributor (author/editor/etc) thing this week, and
> >then
> > > will get into the articles themselves in earnest.
> > >
> > > Also... if an article is fairly long, and has multiple sections, do I
> >want
> >
> > > to treat the sections as separable and linkable?  What I am looking for
> >is:
> > >
> > > section 1
> > > section 2
> > > section 3
> > > etc
> > >
> > > each being callable as a separate sub document. Then, can a document
> >include
> > > sections writeen by other people? This would make the thing quite
> >modular...
> > > etc... Just a thought, though, for version 2.
> > >
> > >
> > > On the distributed design:
> > >
> > > I think that a few fast computers might be less efficient than a lot of
> > > older computers, as long as the maintenance and administration of those
> > > machines is also distributed (meaning I don't have to do it).
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Christopher Mahan
> > > address@hidden
> > > http://www.christophermahan.com/
> > >
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--
  Jean-Daniel Fekete
  Ecole des Mines de Nantes, 4 rue Alfred Kastler, La Chantrerie,
  BP 20722, 44307 Nantes Cedex 03, France
  Voice: +33-2-51-85-82-08  | Fax: +33-2-51-85-82-49
  address@hidden | http://www.emn.fr/fekete/