Re: HTML-Info design

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Nic Ferrier <address@hidden>
> Cc: address@hidden,  address@hidden,  address@hidden,  address@hidden
> Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 21:09:50 +0000
> 
> > Now, it could well be that adding those is a piece of cake, but I just
> > don't know that.  Until you show me that it is indeed doable without
> > jumping through hoops, and can work on several popular browsers, I
> > won't be convinced, sorry.
> 
> Ok. It's not a piece of cake. But it's totally doable. I guess you don't
> have to believe me.

I need to see at least part of it to believe.

> > Likewise with the directionality of the index prompt -- it might be a
> > minor issue for a POC, but if it turns out that it is insoluble in
> > principle, it's a showstopper, I hope you agree.
> 
> It's not insoluble though. It's absolutely trivial.

Then humor me and show how trivial it is.  This is still a POC, not
the real thing, right?  We don't need to argue now whether it's
absolutely TRT, just that it's possible, right?

> What's not trivial is whether this is *the right* thing to do or
> not. I'm not changing it to the way you want it just because you want it
> like that. The web browser is a different medium to an emacs frame and
> so maybe a different presentation is necessary.

Not sure who else you will ask whether it is or isn't TRT, but at this
stage I'm only worried whether it's technically possible.

> > We are talking about replacing an existing browser, one that is
> > developed for decades and is chock-full of useful features.  I use
> > many of them every day.
> 
> We aren't talking about doing that as far as I'm concerned.

Then I don't know what are we talking about.

> I don't think there's any point in snapping our fingers and replacing
> info. We couldn't possibly hope to do that. I think we commit to
> replacing it with better tools over 10 years.

Based on a 20-year experience in working on Emacs development, I don't
believe in such long-term plans.  There's no stable organization here
to carry out such plans.  Only some single motivated individual could
do it, assuming we have on board someone who'd dedicate the next 10
years (or whatever it takes) to this job.

> If we don't commit to changing the authorial format, over time and
> improving the viewer, over time, then I think we're guilty of the
> accusation esr has levelled against us of being stick in the muds.

Again, based on my experience here, there's no way of "us committing"
to something of this scale.  It doesn't work like that in Emacs.
Significant new features are developed by very small groups, mostly
single individuals, then dumped on the community one bright day, and
we spend the next 5 or 10 years improving those features, fixing bugs,
and learning to live with them.

Thanks.