[Compcomm] The Next Step

[Mike Dransfield]

Jeffrey Laramie wrote:
> I've started putting some of our discussions on the previous threads together 
> into an outline. Despite some of our less productive posts, we've actually 
> had many good ideas and suggestions. I had hoped to include everything at 
> once, but there is just too much to organize in one evening (I didn't get to 
> work on RYX's idea for teams yet). I'm in-lining the material here, but If 
> you go to http://rock3d.org/index.php?section=8 you can see it formatted a 
> little nicer:
>
> Community Description 
>
> I've taken the description of the Compiz-Extra division and added a little 
> detail. I'm reluctant to add too many specifics unless we have individuals 
> who step up and say "I'm going to be responsible for that" and those 
> individuals can back up their promises with actual code.
>
>     * The Composite Community division (to be re-named) will include plugins 
> and other programs that provide functionality which is not essential to the 
> operation of Compiz-Core.
>   

This does not make any sense at all.  Surely 'The Composite Community
Division' is a group of people and plugins and other programs are software?

So, please explain to me because I must be very thick, how can a
community of people include a broad range of software?

A community can produce software, but I don't think software can be
part of a community or a 'division', can it?

Here are the definitions I am working with.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/community
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/software
(software is the same as 'programs')

Division sounds about right though

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/division

>     * Composite Community will have a broad focus on plugins, decorators, 
> libraries, and other programs and will include stable, developmental, and 
> experimental code.
>   

Did anyone ever stop to think of exactly what you are trying to
achieve?  It sounds like you want to group together a bunch of
software, slap a new name on it and distribute it.

Did you ever stop to think about the support issues or how
distributing third-party software will affect official packages?

>     * We will create various packages for our code. The primary packages will 
> be based on the maturity and quality of the code, with only the highest 
> quality code being included in official releases. We will create additional 
> meta-packages that combine the various programs into packages that target a 
> specific user segment (e.g. distro-specific, DE-specific, 
> program-type-specific).
>   

Again, we are not a distro.  They should be in charge of how
software is provided to its users.

Really, I cannot think of any other example where this happens.

>     * We will include functionality and code that can be used universally, 
> used with a specific DE, or can be run on compiz without a DE.
>   

Again, think of support issues.  Will people come to the coco forum
with problems about avant window manager?  And who will know how
to fix any problem?

You expect people to support all software that happens to use the
alpha channel?

>     * Composite Community will focus on the developers creating and 
> maintaining the Composite Community programs and on end users. We will use 
> the full range of applications available to us in order to provide support to 
> our developers and users. These tools may include a web site, wiki, forum, 
> content management system, weblog, bug trackers, and any other software that 
> supports our goals.
>   

There are no composite community programs and I doubt
there will be for a very long time.

I hate to break it to you, but none of the plugins are revolutionary
either.  Its not really a stable foundation for anything.

>     * The goal of the Composite Community division is to develop Compiz 
> related software and support the use of Compiz on all desktops. We will focus 
> our efforts on integrating our code into existing Desktop Environments and 
> Linux distributions, as well as on creating code that can be used independent 
> of existing environments and distributions.
>   

So where does this leave a compiz support forum?

Will compiz have to share support with all these other programs?

What will happen if someone reports a problem with compiz core?
Do we just tell them sorry, we are the composited community, we
only help with plugins we distribute?

The whole idea seems poorly thought out and seems like you are
trying to rush to a conclusion to make certain inpatient people happy.


If you really want to set up a composited community which is a
broad range of plugins and any other apps you like, then please arrange
it before tearing down the compiz support forums.

I think we should be looking at solving our immediate problems like
lack of documentation etc before getting distracted by non-existent
bling.