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Re:[MacPerl] We need more evangelism...
At 9:27 -0800 7/19/98, Chris Nandor wrote:
>So what is it you want, now? Simple recognition of Mac OS in the list
>(which I think is valid),
yes
>or something to change about perl or MacPerl itself?
yes :-)
>If it is the latter, what has been said (or not been said) by
>Matthias and me that you find unsatisfactory?
I find nothing that has been said by Chris or Matthias to be unsatisfactory
except the possibility that the Mac toolbox pieces might not found in the
"standard" download location. Things are looking up. This is terrific. If
5.005 will (eventually) "build out of the box" from the CPAN I will be
happy. I'll wish Windows hadn't gotten there first, but I will be happy.
If MacPerl will never "build out of the box" I will not be happy.
However, the "out of the box" discussion was all a related issue based on
an interpretation of the message that caused me to send the first note. An
interpretation, I might add, that was (and still is) different from my
intent.
My first note was in response to this statement in the 5.005 beta
announcement:
> Perl builds and runs on a bewildering number of platforms. Virtually all
> known and current Unix derivatives are supported, as are VMS, DOS, OS/2,
> Windows, QNX, BeOS, and the Amiga.
This does not state "The default Perl distribution as downloadable from the
CPAN builds out of the box without additions or changes on...". It does not
state "the standard Perl distribution directly supports..." Some people may
be reading it that way, but that is not what it _says_.
The statement as made says "Perl builds on" and "[these platforms] are
"supported". Mac OS is not in the list. I don't like the implications; we
have enough trouble convincing people MacOS is real without wondering why
we're not in that list.
Some of us get picky about this sort of thing ;-)
So I say we need more evangelism so that Mac OS isn't left out of this sort
of statement anymore (Perl does build and run on MacOS, it is supported;
if the
statement was meant to convey different information, it failed to do so for me)
That's an evangelism issue.
The discussion that began in response to my note has a more technical
aspect, that is: What can be done or should be done or is being done to
ensure that Mac OS is part of the mainstream, "standard", perl build.
Yet perhaps there's still some evangelism to be had here as well, within
our own community. I think it's very important that MacPerl _be_ part of
the "standard" perl (though preferably the toolbox stuff would not be a
required part of the download!) because I think that helps underscore the
point that MacPerl is as real a port of Perl as the Amiga port. (Paul says
of the Amiga port "The point is, it is no longer a port.". No, sorry, it's
still a port. It's just easier to get).
I don't want to hear "why should it?" [include MacOS]. I don't want to hear
"it can't, because we have this other stuff". I do like to hear "We're
working on it; be patient; we've got plans; Real Soon Now." Mac people
shouldn't respond "why should it" but rather "why isn't it" and then "what
can we do to change this".
So I see two issues; closely enough related to have been merged under the
same Subect line, but still different. Chris' two questions to me (at the
top of this note) address both of those issues (one each). I hadn't
expected or planned for the second, but the discussion has been
interesting, to say the least. Any confusion arises from the muddling
where the two issues meet and swirl together.
OK, then. We NOW return you to... really... this time for sure...
(I feel like Columbo. (inside joke; if you don't get it, ignore it)).
- V.
Vicki Brown, vlb@cfcl.com |\ _,,,---,,_
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