(Fwd) Re: SEUL: Re: "Just write it!" and plans

["Aldo P. Solari [APS]" <solaris@fobos.ulpgc.es>]

This one got somehow lost [mea culpa]. Cheers, AP.

------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date:          Tue, 6 Jan 1998 00:59:34 -0500 (EST)
From:          Paul Anderson <paul@geeky1.ebtech.net>
To:            "Aldo P. Solari [APS]" <solaris@fobos.ulpgc.es>
Cc:            owner-seul-project@seul.org
Subject:       Re: SEUL: Re: "Just write it!" and plans

On Tue, 6 Jan 1998, Aldo P. Solari [APS] wrote:

> 
> It is falacious to believe that Linus worked without any 
> planification whatsoever. I am not a programmer but I doubt that 
> anyone could set up an OS or distribution without planification. 
>
He had goals, not really much of a plan.  More along the lines of "This
feature would be nice to add next" or "This feature HAS to be added next".
That's just the way something like this works.  He knew he wanted a better
minix than minix.  You set a short term goal, and you reach it, then you
make another short term goal, and reach it.  That's just the way
programming works.  For instance, this (extremely) complex program I'm
working on right now, I have a basic idea as to how I want it to work
internally, I have no idea on how the natural language parser will work,
but I'll burn that bridge when I get to it.  My short term goal is to get
the things class written, then I want to get another class written.

> Everything has to be coordinated, that's a rational praxis. 
> Otherwise, you end up in a jam session with a million things 
> floating around that nobody can get to work together. 
> 
Not the way the SEUL project is being handled right now.  We AREN'T
setting ANY short term goals, and we aren't meeting any short term goals.
Thus, we are making no progress, have not made any progress and will not
make any progress until we do set short term goals.  TTYL!



                            ---
                        Paul Anderson
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