Re: A letter for Tom/RGSG contributors

[John R Sheets <dusk smsi-roman com>]

Soren Harward wrote:
> 
> Though I'm singling out Mr. Sheets here, this is something everyone
> (including me) has done at times.  It's statements like these that start
> flame wars.  The focus around here should be the current task at hand:
> putting together a style guide for GNOME.  What anyone said or did before
> doesn't matter, because when everything's said and done, it's the style
> guide that counts, and not goings-on of the mailing list.  We're all
> getting our names at the bottom, so let's at least cooperate.

You're right, of course, Soren, and I apologize for the flame
bait.  I still stand by my opinions in this matter, but my words
should have been better chosen.

However, the fact remains that the RSG was a passive,
*non*-competing effort, despite what Bowie has said, and I am
very disappointed that Bowie is not taking his own advice.  At
the very least, he should stop making proposals for the UISG, and
should concentrate on fitting his ideas into the *new* official
format, the GNOME User Interface Guidelines.  This
cross-development is leading to the same confusion about how
*which* issues are handled by *which* style guide.  If something
is decided for the UISG, does it make it into the GUIG?  Will we
have to ratify every style twice?

I understand that Bowie intends to merge the UISG into the GUIG
when it's ready (mid-October?), but why wait that long?  Why
create an interim period of confusion, just to support a document
that will disappear in a couple months anyway?  We should be
focusing all our efforts on the single format contained in the
official GNOME User Interface Guidelines document.

This is still an important issue, even though the RSG part of it
has been resolved.  Bottom line, we still have two style guides.

John