Re: [dev] [OFFTOPIC] Recommended meta-build system

On Mon, Feb 01, 2010 at 01:06:09PM +0000, Anselm R Garbe wrote:
> To be fair Uriel isn't completely wrong. In an ideal world everyone
> would just use the software as is and not waste time on fiddling
> around with colors and such. But obviously a lot of people like
> customizing things/making them different to the default. I'm not sure
> what the reason is, but people fiddle around their cars, by bigger
> wheels, bigger exhausts, make the windows black etc. Same with
> software and desktop setups.
Yes, he is completely wrong. Using software as is means using a software with
the developer's tastes, not mine. That's a totally retarded concept (almost
like the previous Uriel's statement). It's not only a matter of colors, but
most important things like fonts, key bindings, and so forth. That's where
config.h wins againts initrc.local, where you can't also configure the PLAN9
base (well, you can't but it's useless) without have to change the shesbang of
werc.bin.

> So the ideal world doesn't exist, however we think the lesser options
> there are, the better. The best tools are those that have no options,
> like nearly no one changes the look of the vacuum cleaner once bought,
> or of your micro wave, or of your iron board, or nearly no one
> repaints the case of a TV.
The ideal world does exists: we have suckless software and config.h. Well, we
also have werc.
The best tools are those which are better. Period. Less options is not better,
the need to have less options converge with a better software. It's different.
In the real world, you don't have any real advantages by changing how the
vacuum cleaner looks like, while you obviously will find much more comfortable
a font (or color) which fits well your eyes; expecially if you spend much of
your time ahead a monitor. This will make you less distract, much more
efficient and productive and also much happy. That's our real perfect world.

> The point is people would be able doing much more useful stuff when
> they won't spend their time with fiddling around with things that are
> not mandatory == eg not customising cars but coming up with some great
> philosophy instead ;)
Philosophy is nothing if not applied to the real world. If it doesn't fits with
the real world, then is a bad philosophy (or, this is the case, retarded).

Regards,
Claudio M. Alessi

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