On May 6, 2011, at 8:59 AM, John Floren <j...@jfloren.net> wrote:
On Fri, May 6, 2011 at 8:45 AM, Bakul Shah <ba...@bitblocks.com>
wrote:
Well designed documents that use multiple fonts, graphical
elements, white
space, colors, pictures are far easier on one's eyes.
Yes, and then on the other hand, you have web pages. Oh, wait, you
weren't talking about postscript documents? :-)
It would be great if
such pages can be viewed, and even better, created on plan9. HTML
isn't just
for browsers anymore! On the Mac there are some great apps for
journal or
blog writing etc that use the webkit (not everyone uses MS word or
pages).
In a way a good webkit can *vitalize* plan9. So more power to errno
if he
wants to do this!
Of course you can create documents using multiple fonts, graphical
elements, white space, colors, pictures on Plan 9. I do it in troff
from time to time. I also do it by writing HTML in a text editor (like
Acme), which is also how pretty much all the real web developers (as
opposed to dabblers in FrontPage) do it too (except they also use CSS
and real programming language backends). The idea that you need a
special application built around WEBKIT of all things (I just vomited
in my shoes a little) just to write a blog is utterly ridiculous.
Postscript is fine for viewing but if you want editable pages it
doesn't cut it. If you want to collaborate with non techies on other
platform, troff, raw HTML or TeX is quite limiting. Apps such as
journler could be created by one person because of the webkit. They
are very easy to use and you don't have to be a "real web developer"
to write. I don't particularly like HTML/XML but it has become
ubiquitous as a portable format. At least with a good app I don't have
to look at raw HTML (just as programming in a HLL means you don't have
to look at the bletcherous x86 code 99.99% of time).
Now, I'd love to see webkit ported, because I'd love to have a
fully-featured web browser on Plan 9. However, call me cynical, but
I'm a little concerned that we're seeing yet another repetition of
that familiar pattern: New guy comes in, wants to be Plan 9 messiah by
porting [gcc/web browser] or writing drivers, makes grandiose plans,
everyone points out the flaws in said plans which came about from not
understanding Plan 9 yet, new guy disappears.
There is that danger. 9 out of 10 (or may be even 99 out of 100) will
disappear. It can get tiring but so what. We don't have to point out
the flaws! Let them discover on their own & learn the hard way (the
only way people learn). I prefer to encourage new people even knowing
most of the time we won't benefit.
Not to say you are wrong or I am right; just a different point of view
to consider!
