Re: [boost] Boost is supposed to serve *the entire C++ community; it isn't Boost's goal to serve Boost's community*

Subject: Re: [boost] Boost is supposed to serve *the entire C++ community; it isn't Boost's goal to serve Boost's community*
From: Vladimir Prus (vladimir.prus_at_[hidden])
Date: 2016-05-22 05:24:42

On 22/05/2016 00:47, Niall Douglas wrote:

> I began putting together an initial checklist of potential
> automatable C++ style and design checkers via a clang AST parser at
> https://svn.boost.org/trac/boost/wiki/BestPracticeHandbook. The idea
> was that people could submit their library, and get it scored and
> ranked on a dashboard. All automated. Even better, non-Boost library
> authors could use the same system as tuneups for their own code - a
> solution truly serving the C++ community at large, not just yet more
> Boost parochialism.
>
> It was not warmly received by the community. I got publicly accused
> of all sorts of malevolent behaviours, so I abandoned the effort and
> moved onto more productive uses of my time.

Would you mind providing links the messages that accuse you of malevolent
behaviours?

It is my recollection that the idea of automatic checking and ranking
of libraries received basically the same objection as now - that
automatic tests can easily check coding guidelines, or simple numeric
metrics, but they hardly can be used to evaluate design quality, documentation,
or usefulness of a library. Therefore, using automatic metrics for ranking
might easily down-rank good libraries that don't meet some specific criteria
of yours, and alternatively up-rank libraries that are good on technical
metrics but are not good for real users.

For some reason, instead of assuming that this argument is made by
well-meaning, remotely-intelligent and somewhat-experienced people, and
therefore must be at least partially sensible, you decided to ignore
it, and assume malice.

In fact, could you explain what are you goals? You've laid out pretty
ambiguous plan, one that would likely require a dozen of people with
plenty of spare time to make even the first step. In order to promote it,
you've made antagonizing remarks towards Steering Committee, followed
by remarks against older people (may I know your age, for the record?),
followed by further wide-ranging complaints?

Would it be sensible, at this point, to either:

- Create a new project, called "Niall C++ Libraries", having nothing to
   with Boost (you can of course use existing libraries, since the license
   allow that)
- Decide that majority of people here have no personal agenda against you,
   and try to push your ideas the way Robert suggested - by preaching them
   carefully and not expecting immediate from-top approval?

Thanks,

-- 
Vladimir Prus
http://vladimirprus.com