Hi Casey--

> ...almost everyone who speaks out has a different idea about how to
> #doIt. The conversation usually goes in a long circle, and then gets
> garbage-collected when everyone gets too fatigued with the debate to
> continue it.

     Having the discussion in real time by voice would help, especially
when the participants are already familiar with the positions from
previous thoughtful discussion in text. We could have focused
conversations on Skype, for example. Many issues which would have taken
weeks (or years) over text have been settled over a single lunch, no
kidding.

> Other times it's someone who's been around a little while and is
> frustrated because the discussion died again *raises hand*.

     Yeah, usually what I write gets no response at all, which is pretty
frustrating.

> ...it would be neat to be able to rank out the popularity of various
> approaches to e.g. namespaces somehow, though, so I'd know which
> project to go offer to help hack on.

     That would be interesting information that I'd like to see. At the
same time, I'd hope that you would also be convinced by the position,
not just compelled by its popularity? If everyone directed their energy
just by what was most popular, we'd get... oh, wait, that's why computer
science is so fucked up now. :)


-C

--
Craig Latta
www.netjam.org/resume
+31  06 2757 7177
+ 1 415  287 3547