Date: Wed, 08 Sep 1999 20:37:37 -0600 From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> To: Nik Clayton <nik@FreeBSD.ORG> Cc: Rod Taylor <dark@idiotswitch.org>, "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@zippy.cdrom.com>, chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Good memes vs. good code Message-ID: <4.2.0.58.19990908195708.0463db80@localhost> In-Reply-To: <19990908194548.A89429@catkin.nothing-going-on.org> References: <4.2.0.58.19990908091226.047c96f0@localhost> <4.2.0.58.19990907215517.047c9880@localhost> <99090807163506.00470@a11.idiotswitch.org> <4.2.0.58.19990908091226.047c96f0@localhost>
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At 07:45 PM 9/8/99 +0100, Nik Clayton wrote:
>Brett,
>
>I think this is where the problem is:
>
>On Wed, Sep 08, 1999 at 09:32:27AM -0600, Brett Glass wrote:
> > is that FreeBSD is lacking in good memes, which are more important than good
> > code.
>
>On a very fundamental level, I think a lot of the FreeBSD developers (note,
>not necessarily the users) disagree very strongly with that statement.
Actually, good memes ARE very important to the FreeBSD developers, because
without them, all of that programming is for naught.
I'm sure that each contributor has slightly different reasons for taking
the time to contribute. However, the most common reasons, as expressed
on the mailing lists and elsewhere, include:
1. You like doing good work, and take pride in a job well done;
2. You want others to benefit from using your code;
3. The availability of FreeBSD helps you to perform other tasks or makes
your business more successful, so you have a vested interest in making
it better;
4. You wish to (or already do) make money supporting or extending FreeBSD.
As I mentioned in an earlier message, ALL of these goals are furthered by
a larger user base, which in turn is brought about by good memes. More
people will know of, appreciate, and benefit from your work. A more popular
OS means more improvements and more third party applications, which in
turn means a better and more useful OS for you yourself to use. If you
make money doing FreeBSD work, you'll have more professional opportunities
as well.
Without good memes, though, none of these things are possible. Linux --
which does have hardy memes -- will dominate. The percentage of people
who see and benefit from your work will shrink. You'll have fewer
consulting opportunities (I used to do some OS/2 consulting, and watched
my peers who specialized entirely in OS/2 suffer terribly careerwise when
it tanked). And you'll likely be buying Linux applications and hoping that
they run on your system, where they're unsupported if something goes wrong.
Programmers, naturally, put an emphasis on good code and understand its
benefits. But an OS is more than just some lines of code; it's a PLATFORM.
An environment. With conventions (which are more consistent in BSD than
in SysV or Linux; that's one reason why I'm partial to BSD), a user
community, a halo of third party developers, and more. To focus only on
the code is sort of like caring only about a car's engine and ignoring
whether the windshield is cracked, whether the horn and headlights work,
whether you can sit on a seat without a loose, rusty spring tearing a
hole in your trousers.
I'm a competent techie; my specialty is hand-coded assembly language.
(This is why you don't see any of my code in FreeBSD, by the
way. Contributions to FreeBSD pretty much have to be in C, a language
I detest and write only when I must.) But I'm also a writer, an artist,
a musician, a businessperson (I manage rental properties, among other
things), and an inventor. In short, I'm a generalist, and like to step
back and see the "big picture" rather than focusing on just one
specialized area.
So, you're right -- I may have a perspective that a developer who
cares ONLY about code will not have.
The people who have argued with me the longest and the loudest on
this list have been those who are very code-centric. For example,
Jordan Hubbard wrote, in a recent message:
>All this talk of dominant memes and subverting the
>current paradigm is mere fiddle-faddle when it comes right down to it
>becuase it's the front-liners who do the work and the front liners who
>I respect.
By "front liners," of course, he means the coders. But the development
of good memes is actually more important, as is shown by the success of
Linux. Development of the memes is, of course, done behind the front
lines, while spreading them requires going out and talking to PEOPLE --
not coding. And spending a lot of time in online discussions such as
this one.
I think that a broader perspective not only has value but is necessary
to promote the development of the an operating system as a whole entity
(which consists of more than just code). It's even necessary to
further the interests of those who focus exclusively on the code.
>I doubt that you can change their minds.
Many already agree with me. I wish I could convince them to speak up
more often instead of sending private e-mail telling me to stick
to my guns! In this controversy, I'm very MUCH on the front lines,
despite what Jordan says.
--Brett
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