[geeks] I love it when software gets more efficient

[Charles Shannon Hendrix]

Wed, 13 Sep 2006 @ 10:39 -0700, William Kirkland said:

> My point is that the capability exists in a unix environment (non- 
> Micros**t). 

...and my point was that the capability does not exist in all cases
where an application frequently modifies the file.

> > This kind of thing really needs a standard.
> 
> The standard needs to be placed on the applications, not the OS. You  
> will not be able to address the issue any other way. The unix world  
> has provided the recommendation that the configuration files should  
> be human readable text files 

Two potential tasks:

	- convince a small number of OS developers to provide a standard
	  configuration foundation
	- convincer literally hundreds of thousands of application developers
	  to provice a standard configuration foundation

You might be right technically, but ask yourself which is more likely to
happen.

Now, you *might* do it from the application POV if you convince really
large projects like Gnome and KDE to adopt it.

Then again, take a good look at them, their redundant and conflicting
configuration, and the fact that they are both participating in the same
standard, or are supposed to be (freedesktop.org).

> The user's will only complain to the application developers, who
> would then modify their code to allow the user to override the SA's
> "recommendations".

Most users won't even know it is happening.

Application developer might well change code to suit users, but the
admin can simply remove them if they want.

If the source is open, admins will get together and remove changes like
that.

In fact, that already happens now, and I'm one of them.

-- 
shannon "AT" widomaker.com -- [javalin: an unwieldy programming weapon used
to stab a software project through the heart until dead]