On Fri, Jan 12, 2001 at 01:01:56AM +0000, Simon P. Lucy wrote:
> >
> >I don't get it... I thought Netscape *wanted* help developing this
> >stuff? Isn't it obvious? Help make the libraries *accessible* as system
> >libraries, and you get more users of the code, and thus more developers.
>
> I think its more just a case of reality checks. There seems to be a huge
> reluctance in freezing interfaces and APIs and that may be understandable
> given the way the goalposts change on those that might otherwise freeze
> them.
>
Speaking as an application developer who wants to treat mozilla as a system
library ... :)
I understand where the mozilla developers are coming from. No one wants to
get flamed madly every time a minor interface wiggles a bit.
But I don't care. I want mozilla. Period.
And frankly, I'll deal with mobile interfaces the same way I have until now:
i'll fix stuff as it breaks, and specify which mozilla version I work with.
And I have absolutely no problem with that.
Nor does anyone who develops against the Linux kernel, btw.
Don't freeze the interfaces. Avoid unnecessary breakage. But there's no
reason to shy away from people depending on mozilla. There are a lot of
platforms that need a first-rate page rendering component. It's just not
going to come from anywhere else. And last I checked (and certainly
according to the hype), being the pagerenderer of choice on those platforms
was (and is) one of the project goals. Be a shame if people backed down from
that.
cheers,
ari
