Updating Boost overview text
Hi everyone, We're updating the overview description of Boost. Please review the following and provide any feedback. Thanks. __________ Boost is a collection of free, peer-reviewed, portable C++ source libraries maintained by an open community of world-class engineers. For more than a quarter century, Boost has set the standard for C++ library engineering. Delivering capabilities the standard does not, from high performance containers and networking to numerical computing and coroutines. Smart pointers, filesystem, regex, variant: they became part of modern C++ because Boost built them first and proved they belonged there. The world's most demanding organizations have validated this work. Aerospace, defense, high frequency trading systems, video games, large scale database engines. When the stakes are highest, Boost is in the stack. And through the Boost Software License, every line of it is freely available for commercial and open source use alike, with no obligation to release your code. Great engineering compounds. Boost is where the next generation of C++ takes shape.
On 5 May 2026 15:36, Mark Cooper via Boost wrote:
Hi everyone,
We're updating the overview description of Boost. Please review the following and provide any feedback. Thanks.
__________
Boost is a collection of free, peer-reviewed, portable C++ source libraries maintained by an open community of world-class engineers. For more than a quarter century, Boost has set the standard for C++ library engineering. Delivering capabilities the standard does not, from high performance containers and networking to numerical computing and coroutines. Smart pointers, filesystem, regex, variant: they became part of modern C++ because Boost built them first and proved they belonged there.
The world's most demanding organizations have validated this work. Aerospace, defense, high frequency trading systems, video games, large scale database engines. When the stakes are highest, Boost is in the stack. And through the Boost Software License, every line of it is freely available for commercial and open source use alike, with no obligation to release your code.
Great engineering compounds. Boost is where the next generation of C++ takes shape.
I feel this text is more of a marketing speech rather than a technical overview. I don't know if that is intended, and I can't tell if this is an improvement since it's not clear what is the original text this is supposed to replace.
The text is marketing focused, not technical. Here is what it would be replacing: Boost provides free peer-reviewed portable C++ source libraries. Experience C++ libraries created by experts to be reliable, skillfully designed, and well-tested. Development of high quality, expert reviewed, legally unencumbered, open-source libraries, inspiring standard enhancements, and advancing and disseminating software development best practices.It does this by fostering community engagement, nurturing leaders, providing necessary financial/legal support, and making directional decisions in the event of Boost community deadlock. Equally important to our mission is the guidance provided by our shared values. These are transparency, inclusivity, consensus-building, federated authorship, and community-driven leadership. Why Use Boost? In a word, Productivity. Use of high-quality libraries like Boost speeds initial development, results in fewer bugs, reduces reinvention-of-the-wheel, and cuts long-term maintenance costs. And since Boost libraries tend to become de facto or de jure standards, many programmers are already familiar with them. On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 9:01 AM Andrey Semashev via Boost < boost@lists.boost.org> wrote:
On 5 May 2026 15:36, Mark Cooper via Boost wrote:
Hi everyone,
We're updating the overview description of Boost. Please review the following and provide any feedback. Thanks.
__________
Boost is a collection of free, peer-reviewed, portable C++ source libraries maintained by an open community of world-class engineers. For more than a quarter century, Boost has set the standard for C++ library engineering. Delivering capabilities the standard does not, from high performance containers and networking to numerical computing and coroutines. Smart pointers, filesystem, regex, variant: they became part of modern C++ because Boost built them first and proved they belonged there.
The world's most demanding organizations have validated this work. Aerospace, defense, high frequency trading systems, video games, large scale database engines. When the stakes are highest, Boost is in the stack. And through the Boost Software License, every line of it is freely available for commercial and open source use alike, with no obligation to release your code.
Great engineering compounds. Boost is where the next generation of C++ takes shape.
I feel this text is more of a marketing speech rather than a technical overview. I don't know if that is intended, and I can't tell if this is an improvement since it's not clear what is the original text this is supposed to replace.
_______________________________________________ Boost mailing list -- boost@lists.boost.org To unsubscribe send an email to boost-leave@lists.boost.org https://lists.boost.org/mailman3/lists/boost.lists.boost.org/ Archived at: https://lists.boost.org/archives/list/boost@lists.boost.org/message/6TEZYA4S...
El 05/05/2026 a las 15:41, Mark Cooper via Boost escribió:
The text is marketing focused, not technical.
Here is what it would be replacing:
Boost provides free peer-reviewed portable C++ source libraries. Experience C++ libraries created by experts to be reliable, skillfully designed, and well-tested. Development of high quality, expert reviewed, legally unencumbered, open-source libraries, inspiring standard enhancements, and advancing and disseminating software development best practices.It does this by fostering community engagement, nurturing leaders, providing necessary financial/legal support, and making directional decisions in the event of Boost community deadlock. Equally important to our mission is the guidance provided by our shared values. These are transparency, inclusivity, consensus-building, federated authorship, and community-driven leadership. Why Use Boost? In a word, Productivity. Use of high-quality libraries like Boost speeds initial development, results in fewer bugs, reduces reinvention-of-the-wheel, and cuts long-term maintenance costs. And since Boost libraries tend to become de facto or de jure standards, many programmers are already familiar with them.
On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 9:01 AM Andrey Semashev via Boost < boost@lists.boost.org> wrote:
On 5 May 2026 15:36, Mark Cooper via Boost wrote:
Hi everyone,
We're updating the overview description of Boost. Please review the following and provide any feedback. Thanks.
__________
Boost is a collection of free, peer-reviewed, portable C++ source libraries maintained by an open community of world-class engineers. For more than a quarter century, Boost has set the standard for C++ library engineering. Delivering capabilities the standard does not, from high performance containers and networking to numerical computing and coroutines. Smart pointers, filesystem, regex, variant: they became part of modern C++ because Boost built them first and proved they belonged there.
The world's most demanding organizations have validated this work. Aerospace, defense, high frequency trading systems, video games, large scale database engines. When the stakes are highest, Boost is in the stack.
And through the Boost Software License, every line of it is freely available for commercial and open source use alike, with no obligation to release your code.
Great engineering compounds. Boost is where the next generation of C++ takes shape.
I generally like the overall approach of the proposed text, some observations:
* I agree with Andrey the tone is a bit too marketing-oriented, I think the same message can be conveyed with less boasting. * "Delivering capabilities the standard does not": no need to present Boost in confrontation to the standard. Maybe state that Boost is a _potential_ venue for standardization, which links nicely with the following statement. * "have validated this work" sounds weird, why not simply "use Boost"? * I'm missing some additional mention to the community and the peer-reviewed process, though I don't know where that would fit with the flow. * "Great engineering compounds": that sounds nice, but doesn't mean much :-) Looking fwd to others' opinions. Joaquín M López Muñoz
On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 6:01 AM Andrey Semashev via Boost < boost@lists.boost.org> wrote:
I feel this text is more of a marketing speech rather than a technical overview.
Perhaps. I think, a question which needs answering: what is the goal of the rewrite? We need to know this to evaluate the change. Thanks
The current overview is very general. The proposed overview is composed of the Boost themes that have driven improved engagement on X over the last two months: - excellent engineering - capabilities not found in the standard - used when high performance matters On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 5:58 PM Vinnie Falco via Boost <boost@lists.boost.org> wrote:
On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 6:01 AM Andrey Semashev via Boost < boost@lists.boost.org> wrote:
I feel this text is more of a marketing speech rather than a technical overview.
Perhaps. I think, a question which needs answering: what is the goal of the rewrite? We need to know this to evaluate the change.
Thanks _______________________________________________ Boost mailing list -- boost@lists.boost.org To unsubscribe send an email to boost-leave@lists.boost.org https://lists.boost.org/mailman3/lists/boost.lists.boost.org/ Archived at: https://lists.boost.org/archives/list/boost@lists.boost.org/message/W2GUHGL7...
El 05/05/2026 a las 14:36, Mark Cooper via Boost escribió:
Hi everyone,
We're updating the overview description of Boost. Please review the following and provide any feedback. Thanks.
Hi, Where are we going to use the new text? I mean, the new text is more marketing-oriented. I've found the old text in the CppCon sponsor texts (https://cppcon.org/sponsors/). Is the new text oriented to be shown in similar websites? Best, Ion
Yes. On Tue, May 5, 2026 at 4:01 PM Ion Gaztañaga <igaztanaga@gmail.com> wrote:
El 05/05/2026 a las 14:36, Mark Cooper via Boost escribió:
Hi everyone,
We're updating the overview description of Boost. Please review the following and provide any feedback. Thanks.
Hi,
Where are we going to use the new text? I mean, the new text is more marketing-oriented. I've found the old text in the CppCon sponsor texts (https://cppcon.org/sponsors/). Is the new text oriented to be shown in similar websites?
Best,
Ion
participants (5)
-
Andrey Semashev -
Ion Gaztañaga -
Joaquin M López Muñoz -
Mark Cooper -
Vinnie Falco