Re: Octave popularity

[niles]

> address@hidden wrote:
> > 
> > The current "Linux Journal" has an article about "rlab" another
> > free Mat*ab implementation, that doesn't look half as good as Octave
> > (IMHO). 
> 
> I'm glad that is only your humble opinion :-)
....
> 
> I would like to see more toolboxes written for Rlab... I could look 
> at each Octave mfile as something that wasn't written for Rlab, but that 
> would be self defeating. Motivation and happiness are key factors that 
> are often overlooked. I did not embark upon the Rlab project to write 
> the dominant scientific high level language of the 20th century... I did
> it for the education, and my own technical needs (this was in 1989/90).
> The fact that others have benefited is great, but it was not my original
> motivation. I expect the same is true with many other authors (I know a
> few, so that helps), they start a project to fufill some personal need, and
> it often grows into something else altogether.
> 
> I agree (first time :-), you ought to write an aritcle for the Linux Journal.
 
> However, they are not that desparate. They have a very competent editor, who 
> will not take just any slop that comes along. I spent significantly more effo
rt 
> on the article than I thought I would. Far more than on technical paper I hav
e 
> ever written (I usually publish at least once a year at AIAA/SPIE/ASME
> conferences).
> 
> However, I don't think Rlab, Octave, and Scilab authors, or users should get
> into any sort of competition. All are usefull tools, with their own niche. I
> believe we can all co-exist, and even derive benefit from each other without
> any unpleasantness. 

Please, I didn't want to make it a competition.  I also didn't want to
insult anyone elses work or be unpleasant. I guess I feel somewhat
loyal to Octave and didn't want it to go the way of Sony's betamax
format just because not enough people know it exists.  Also, I was
realize the amount of work that goes in to a product like Octave or
RLab, and just felt it was a duplication of effort, in terms of
manpower.  However, you point is quite valid that people write free
software to fill a niche and for fun and learning and it grows to be
something bigger.  I guess I would just like to see all this work
going to one product that we can all make better than all the current
packages.  However, perhaps that's not the best route.  I'd just like
to see more developers behind Octave and I want to apologize if I've
offended Rlab or yourself.

        Rick Niles.