[off-topic] Completely confused about open source

[garym@canada.com]

>>>>> "M" == Mark Komarinski <markk@cgipc.com> writes:

    M> Hmm....*that* would explain a lot.  I don't see JadeTex listed
    M> at the unmaintained OSS site

It's my understanding that the author does not think his original
approach was viable for production systems; he recommended someone
re-invent a totally new TeX backend which produces _real_ TeX/LaTeX.

I have to agree with him: There is no reason why your average DocBook
doc needs to twist LaTeX into such strange (and huge) pretzels.

    M> Perhaps JadeTex can be added to it and find a new maintainer?

Now, who am I to question the better judgement of VA ;) but it seems
to me these job-jars, of which there are now many, run counter to the
core of open source methodology.

Isn't it true that open source is best developed by people who _need_
the improved technology? Isn't it our vested interest in the results
which _ensures_ we devote our time and very best efforts toward fixing
it?  (rather than moaning about it)

Thus, wouldn't it follow, if the free-software DocBook community truly
wants/needs a Jade backend using LaTeX as an intermediate format for
print formatting, the DocBook community itself will invent such a
critter?  Understand that it is a non-trivial exercise. 

Since I'm not in the typesetting business, I know I can't justify the
expense to re-invent jadetex, and jadetex as-is is quite adequate (and
affordable) for my purposes.  If bullets are missing, I leave that as
an exercise for my publisher ;)

Unfortunately, it is cheaper for me to buy Arbortext than to re-invent
jadetex; I suspect others have come to the same conclusion and that is
why we don't find anyone moved to re-do jadetex. When jadetex was
invented, there were no commercial tools.

Still, the ground rules have changed now that LDP and most other orgs
are embracing DocBook, so it is possible someone within those orgs
will turn the Jadetex Problem into a master's thesis, and make the
whole free documentation world a better place in the process.

-- 
Gary Lawrence Murphy <garym@linux.ca>: office voice/fax: 01 519 4222723
TCI - Business Innovations through Open Source : http://www.teledyn.com
Love Linux?  We need authors/reviewers - http://www.teledyn.com/authors



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