[REBOL] Re: Flames, hype, offended vanity
From: jason:cunliffe:verizon at: 22-Feb-2002 11:50
Hi
oh dear!.. I know nothing about what is really going on offlist, or what
the'backstory' is here, but clearly any initiatives to encourage Rebol
development are a good idea, yet something has gone wrong here.
The visible Rebol community is still very small, and all those with the most
skill appear to very busy already building "real-world demos" [ie
applications, toolkits, etc]. Look at this mailing list and ALL the existing
REBOl sites. My impressionis that there is some serious work being done, but
with little visible change recently in sites or presentation efforts. This
includes RT own site.
This is hard fact of REBOL's condition at the moment, and presumably part of
your motivation. I interpret this lack of 'action' as not decay/death, but
like trees/plants in this season when they are building up energy to burst
into spring greenery.
So I would not be surprised if there is very little response at this point
in time to any REBOL/Demo project, whoever puts their name on it. It strikes
me that your timing is interesting but perhaps a little cruel. Hopefully
there are some ways to heal wounds and channel your effort.
My suggestions:
1. Don't call it a "competition"
We are all already competing against the odds of time, money, documentation,
skill, M$.NET etc.
Instead just set up a great site focused on fostering the kind of demos you
do not find elsewhere in REBOL-topia. If there is another similar initiative
either merge them or clarify the differences. I don't think deadline wor in
REBOL community well. Just keep it open.. keep it going
2. Ask What would really help people [busy people and newbies] to create
adn contribute to cool
REBOL/Demos?
Examples, ideas, documentation, motivation???
Lack of documentation for /View is a major obstable for everyone. The
knowledge is improving thanks to this list but I doubt anyone is satisfied.
Any ideas?
3. Why REBOL? What's it really good for..?
With respect to game/graphic demos I have a very hard time understanding why
anyone would use REBOL/View for any gaming or graphics intensive
applications. imho, it is just to damn !@#$ primitive even though it has
some cool features and the language itself is great. Reminds me of late 20th
century Amiga.
Flash5/6 seem like the obvious choice right now. Please tell me I am wrong
and why.
4. Show us something Please!
The url you posted http://www.sweb.cz/reboldemo returns "404 Stránka
nenalezena" . What's up?
5. Prepare a Review
I have seen a few very nice things on Rbolsites, but hard to find them
again. Perhaps you can provide us a fresh guide to what is already 'cool' in
your terms and sugest where to go. Make a REBOL/Demo map ..including new
lands to discover
~~~~~
So you do net get wrong impression, I am happily addicted to REBOLand having
much fun learning it. I should also say that I recently started working on a
new group/net art project which uses rebol/vanilla/rugby/html/flash. The
main reason for choosing REBOL is sweet simplicity and cross-platform
network features. View is only good for simplest things-basic user
interface. The rest is all background REBOL combined with other tools when
it needs them [Python/PIL, ImageMagick probably]. I am hoping to use Oldes
wonderful %make-swf.r. combnied with extensions to Vanilla for special image
and flash handling.
A real need I have right now is for an advanced image browsing tool on
client desktop which can prepare thumbnail image conversions, generate and
sotre lists and sequences, add metadata and then upload via FTP [preferably
SSH2 file transfer] into Vanilla site where it creates snips automatically.
All quite doable. The pieces are everywhere. But making a smooth integrated
tool in REBOL/View is still frustrating [resizing smoothly is a bitch, and
no binary clipboard copying yet :-((]. I am hope these problems will be
solved soon, but limiting obstacle for many applications now.
~~~~~
best wishes
./Jason