Re: gpaint and extra apps rant

[Jamin Philip Gray <jgray writeme com>]

> 
> Why? I downloaded and compiled gpaint, and I found it horribly
> unfinished. No matter how I tried, I couldn't get the fill tool
> working (maybe I'm stupid) and within two minutes of program 
> usage it managed to lock up my machine (it's  reproducable, I
> tried it twice, try File->New File  [incidentally, the New File
> dialog's cancel button doesn't work] and enter Width:100
> Height:100 Zoom:100), I had to pull the plug on the machine 
> to get it working. The whole application has a very unpolished
> and work-in-progress feel to it.

I want to reiterate what Ian and I have been saying for a while, now.
The list I've been posting and the apps we've been suggesting are just
that:  suggestions.  Nothing has been decided yet.  Many of the apps
that are on the list I keep posting I have not even downloaded and
tried myself *yet*.  Ian and I are working on more formal guidelines
for what constitutes an extra app.  We will then start a more formal
feedback mechanism.  Ian is working on a list of some basic questions
we can ask about every application that is suggested.  We're going to
give feedback to the developers and determine if that application can
be included, and if so what needs to be done before the release to get
it to that point.

> There are 672 applications in the GNOME applist index, many
> more deserving than gpaint to be included. Again, I think the
> extra app list should aim to pick out the best of these
> applications. One day (but realistically not anytime soon) gpaint
> might be a good program, but right now I think it is in no
> position to be part of the cream of the crop of GNOME 
> applications. It has no web page to speak off, no translations
> (very important for GNOME IMHO), it is only about 2 months into
> development and has <700 downloads. Try again in 5 months.

This was precisely why I did not include it to begin with.  However,
for the sake of fairness, I included it.  Why?  Because it is a
suggested app.  And right now all we have is a list of *suggestions*,
or nominations, if you will.  Rest assured, if gpaint, or any other
app on the suggestion list does not meet the standards we're setting
for the extra app release, it will not be in the release.  The extra
app release is not going to be a collection of wholey undocumented,
unstable, feature-lacking software.  We want this to be a solid
release.  

> As for other extra apps, since I haven't seen anyone mention
> Galeon (http://galeon.sourceforge.net) yet I would like to
> nominate it for the list. 

well now someone has.  i'll add it to the list.
thanks!

----------------------------------------------------
name:    Jamin Philip Gray
email:   jgray writeme com
icq:     1361499
jabber:  jamin jabber com
web:     http://DoLinux.org/jamin/

What is a poet? An unhappy person who conceals profound anguish in his
heart but whose lips are so formed that as sighs and cries pass over 
them they sound like beautiful music.

--Soren Kierkegaard