Somebody wrote:
> Laura:
> >> The reason the guitar chord notation got co-opted for text annotations
> >> is that many, many users needed a text annotation of some kind.
>
> Bryan:
> > No. This is a reason for developing a text annotation system, not a
> > reason for co-opting the guitar chord notation. Couldn't they have
> > developed something new instead of messing up something that already
> > existed?
That's exactly what we did, Bryan. The system of using ^ and _ to
denote annotations over or under the staff was proposed by Wil Macaulay
about two years ago and incorporated in the next version of BarFly
(which also allows < and > to place the annotation to the left or right
of the note head when you want to annotate a particular note in a chord).
Most programs have followed suit.
>
>> Developers are *not* the only people who get a say in what ABC ought
>> to be, or what it should be used for.
>
>O yes they are! all the Linux software for abc is FREE,
>so I think nobody has the right to ask the `developers' to do ANYTHING.
>- without paying them that is!
>
>If someone makes a deal with me to do a programming job, then I do it
>the way they want it for pay - but not otherwise.
>
>If I program for myself - then I do EXACTLY what I want - and i would
>be surprised of most developers do not do just the same.
Dead right. I wrote BarFly for myself because I was tired of struggling
with abc2mtex. I put it up on the web for other users free use on a
take it or leave it basis. The only responsibility I acknowledge
towards the users is to make sure that it won't do them any harm
(carry viruses, corrupt their operating system etc). I do read and
reply to their letters, and have implemented many of their suggestions.
But I don't have to.
Phil Taylor
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