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On 28/04/2013 02:24, Randy Barlow wrote: |
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> The project that I work on does not "force" you to use MongoDB. However, |
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> if you wish you make use of my project in the way it was intended to be |
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> used without modifications, you will need to use MongoDB. It's a hard |
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> dependency. Nobody is forcing you to use my project, and there are |
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> alternatives you can choose from. You also have the freedom to git clone |
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> us, and change it to use SQLite, or MariaDB, or PostgreSQL, or anything |
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> else you like (however, if you use LDAP as a database, I know someone |
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> who might hunt you down!) By the nature of us giving you the code with |
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> an Open Source license (GPL), it's freedom for you, not force. |
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This paragraph highlights the essential difference. |
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You don't say what your project is, but reading between the lines I |
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think it's safe to assume it's a somewhat niche project with specific |
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goals that solves a specific problem, right? |
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Such projects come with their dep list as you pointed out and this only |
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affects the machines that project runs on. In eight years hanging out on |
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this list I don't recall any cases of users complaining about deps of |
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projects in such a class. |
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What we complain about here is basic low-level software changes that |
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affect much more than just their own little universe, and will do it ON |
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ALL LINUX MACHINES NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. |
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That is a whole different kettle of fish entirely and is interpreted |
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very differently from what your project does, this is the point where |
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the analogies break down. Regardless of how similar two things may |
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appear on technical merit, the reaction of users is always the deciding |
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factor. |
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|
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udev rules changed network names for all recently updated Linux machines |
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everywhere. |
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Separate /usr caused changes to many machines not using an initrd, and |
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will continue to do that for all time. |
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systemd changes how sysadmins start and shutdown their machines, and how |
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that works for every service on the host whether the sysadmin likes it |
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or not. |
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PA makes deep changes to how the machines handles sound, and the user |
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for the most part never agreed to have those changes. The user agreed to |
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use Gnome and the change came in from left field unexpected. |
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With your project, the user knows upfront they will need MongoDB, they |
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make an informed decision about this before ever emerging your code at |
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all. So your analogy doesn't really hold true. A much better analogy |
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would be if your project used MySQL and one day you required them to |
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upgrade to Oracle (and not the free one either...). Plus, you don't |
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really give them a choice - you also say that all support for all |
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currently released versions will end in 6-12 months. You are giving the |
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*apparency* of choice, whilst creating the *reality* of no (or very |
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little) choice. Does this not look to you a lot like lock-in? |
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-- |
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Alan McKinnon |
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alan.mckinnon@×××××.com |