Re: [Gnu-arch-users] Re: Utterly painless arch?

[Zack Brown]

On Tue, Sep 09, 2003 at 08:38:23PM -0700, Neil Stevens wrote:
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> On Tuesday September 09, 2003 9:00 am, Zack Brown wrote:
> > The tagging method you talk about is another issue, but less important.
> > Default tagging should just be by name, so the user doesn't have to do
> > anything. Let the power users choose better tagging systems, and let
> > novices have things just work reasonably.
> 
> I don't understand.  Why would someone be trying arch unless he were 
> dissatisfied with his current source control and looking for a change?  
> And if the person is looking for a change, why should the arch defaults be 
> the same as every other popular control system?

It just shouldn't be necessary for users to read reams of documentation
in order to get started with tla. The defaults don't have to mimic other
systems, that's not the point at all. The defaults should be whatever
requires the least amount of interaction from the user. That way, as the
user does read more and understand more, it is a simple matter to
override the defaults, using the newly gleaned knowledge.

> 
> I think the arch default should be tagline, personally.  Make it as 
> painless as possible for people trying to see arch's advantages.

Except that in that case, the user has to know all about taglines
before-hand. So it's not painless at all.

Painless means not having to do a lot of work. If the user has to know
something, then they have to put in work to get that knowledge. What I'm
suggesting is that the default behavior of tla should require as little
knowledge as possible. If you can find a way to make taglines require no
knowledge, then there's no problem making that the default.

Take note of the distinction I'm making here: the full power of tla will
still be available to users, because they will be able to override those
defaults as they gain knowledge. So if a user reads up on tagging, and
gradually figures out what it's all about, eventually that user could
specify a better form of tagging.

So the power of tla is not lost by having these defaults; it's just presented
in such a way that users don't need to understand so much of it before they
start using it.

Be well,
Zack

> 
> - -- 
> Neil Stevens - address@hidden
> 
> "Now and in the future, we will support our troops" -- George Walker Bush
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-- 
Zack Brown