[squeak-dev] Proposal: Project Pink Book

Bert Freudenberg bert at freudenbergs.de
Sun May 2 14:32:45 UTC 2010


On 02.05.2010, at 15:55, Ian Trudel wrote:
> 
> My apologies Michael. This new initiative is indeed a good thing. :)
> 
> 2010/5/2 Bert Freudenberg <bert at freudenbergs.de>:
>> I guess nobody would mind having a spell checker, just don't rely on anyone else to make this her highest priority :)
>> 
>>> Anyway, when are we getting HelpSystem integrated to the trunk again?
>> 
>> Err, you *do* know where the inbox is, right? ;)
>> 
>> - Bert -
> 
> Bert,
> 
> I have installed the HelpSystem with the instructions from Torsten but
> I believe it uses SqueakSource. I will check in the inbox. The reason
> I would prefer contributing with the HelpSystem in the trunk is
> because it ensures my contribution is not in vain.

Maybe you misunderstood. I was merely suggesting that the way to get HelpSystem into the trunk is by submitting it to the inbox first.

> Am I allowed to put things into perspective once more? I have been
> writing often lately. I don't want to come off as annoying and
> everything I write is in all due respect.
> 
> What you are saying is that our community has a self-serving mentality
> (e.g. nobody will make such improvement a priority because it's not
> *their* priority) and you are suggesting me to do an unselfish act by
> writing documentation with unsuitable tools. A contradiction in logic.

I did not suggest any such thing. I just said you cannot *rely* on anyone else writing stuff for you. It may still happen. But as you could see from the comments of others, not everyone thinks that a missing spell-checker would block in-image documentation.

> Or, let's say for the sake of the argument, I could be also
> self-serving and write articles about Squeak on my blog where I can do
> proper formatting, spell checking, include images, etc. and get
> instant popularity! **Blogger is the winner!**
> 
> That's basically how self-serving mentality works. The shortest and
> easiest path wins. Contributing on my blog would be good for Squeak
> (as a side effect) but doing so in-image documentation is better (best
> and direct). I am all right with contributing unselfishly because I
> believe a community cannot progress on the basis of selfishness. It's
> food-for-thoughts, right?

Not really, because we're not actually in disagreement I believe.

Everyone acts in their own interest. But we share some of the interests. That makes us a community. I like to think that our's works by the idea of reciprocity - the idea that if one gives freely, other will be inclined to do likewise. But it's the giving that counts, and it has to be unconditional. Even our license says so. Reciprocity does not involve demanding others give something first before one gives something back.

- Bert -





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