Re: SAL, Auto_Text_IO release

[M E Leypold <development-2006-8ecbb5cc8aREMOVETHIS@ANDTHATm-e-leypold.de>]

Stephen Leake <stephen_leake@acm.org> writes:

> As others have pointed out, people make all kinds of unwarranted
> assumptions about things posted on the web, even in the face of
> explicit statements to the contrary.

I very understand that very well having been the "victim" of
unwarranted assupmtions myself. My request was only to keep the old
versions available for some time (Hey, if you don't know about an
active user community, I wouldn't expect that you had so many support
requests after all, so you could have those (zero?) support requests
for some time longer, couldn't you?).

My request was based (apart from its parodistic form) based on an
argument which I posed in another thread and which amounts to that
3.15p is not dead yet, since there is no other standolane packaging
for windows yet and some distributions (Debian) haven't migrated yet. 

Please -- it _was_ only a humble request so don't take offense (better
take offense on the more outrageous things a say elsewher on c.l.a
.. :-).)


> >> It's just as easy for you to keep those files on your machine.
> >
> > It is and I have them. I only thought (suggestion only) it would be
> > good practice if/when you introduce incompatible changes in a piece of
> > software, it would be good practice to keep the older versions
> > available for some time. I imagine that there are still a lot of users
> > of 3.15p out there, especially on windows (but also on Debian: If one
> > doesn't want to replace the compiler that comes with the system).
> 
> Hmm. I suppose if I had an active user community, and a goal of
> growing that community, that would be a concern. In fact, I am not
> aware of any users except myself and my team at work, and my only
> concern is making the library most useful to us. That means taking
> full advantage of Ada 2005.


I understand. So -- I didn't ask to retain Ada 95 compatibility in the
new versions only to keep the old files online and frankly, since I
have them, I've mostly been thinking about "the community" whatever
that is in the Ada world. I've noticed the tendency of some Ada
software to become unavailable really fast, which (also as a software
archeologist, sort of, saddens me, and which is actually different in
other communities. Therefore perhaps my different expectations.

Would you oppose that I put the old version online without any much
advertising just as a reference and a convenience for other people
(which are perhaps not mirroring as much as I do :-).

> Posting SAL on the web is partly egoizing, 

I understand that. Don't we do that all? :-) 

> partly general Ada awareness boosting.

Got you there :-)). Let me tell: It's good for Ada, if not all Ada 95
files go away within the next months. Ada 2005 support has not reached
the masses yet completely :-)).


> >> If you _didn't_ keep a copy, then you need to seriously reconsider
> >> your backup plan!
> >
> > Stephen, please don't lecture me. I'd prefer discussion at eye
> > level.

> I apologize if you took offense. 

Hey, and don't apologize. No need to. I just take your statement that
no offense was intended and that _is_ enough. I also didn't want to be
sidetracked into a discussion about (my) backup habits (which are
quite obsessive) and wether backups are substitute for online
availability (they aren't).

> I took your request as an indication that you might not have a
> backup of your own. I have encountered people who have made exactly
> that mistake (with a different package of mine), even when their
> actual jobs were relying on it.

Yeah, well. Bad mistake. :-).

> My statement was also intended for any other users of SAL, and of
> other packages obtained without an explicit support contract
> involving sufficient money to make it meaningful.

Well, well. I see, we have some different view here. If, say, the GNU
folks or the gcc people pulled their servers just overnight wouldn't
we all be justly pissed of, even if we could have backed up all
relevant files before? Even if we haven't paid them a dime for a
support contract?

Now, whatever. Concerning availability of the old files, I have mad my
case. If my spiel didn't convince you, what about the older versions
being retained in an online archive? 

Regards -- Markus