Alan,
> In the original message of Michael Love (forwarded by Jon Wright) it clearly
> states:
> > Although there are still some small problems, I think that this is a
> > big step forward, and certainly an interesting read, if you are
> > interested in FOSS and science.
> What does "still some problems" mean. Don't kid yourself; if you have read
> the SourceForge preamble then you would certainly know the agenda. Don't you
> understand "free" is what has caused the problems now faced in this field;
> everyone demands it be free but no one want to pay the real cost of software
> development.=20
It is a step forward for F/OSS as it acknowledges that open-source code
allows to spread a new method better than a closed source. As opposed to,
filing a patent - since patents were originally developed to ensure that new
methods be available to all.
I think "still some problems" refers to the continued push for software
patents.
> >If someone claims that his algorithm allows computing FFT with O(n)=20
> >complexity, it is fair to ask him for a practical demonstration available
> >to all readers.
> If there are those who can't follow pseudo code or mathematical descriptions
> then what on earth are they doing in science.
Sure, but often you cannot completely reproduce an algorithm because some
small but important detail is missing ? Like the actual value of constants,
or the practical integration limit of a diverging integral ?
I'm not sure the situation of (publicly funded) software development is =
not so bad - projects here and there seem to gather funding - CCP4, CCP14,
Simon Billing=e's
DANSE project, my initial (18 months) development for Fox and now the
development
of grid computing around Fox in Prague, Bill David/K Shankland/M Tremayne
teams in the UK, and a lot of other developments at large instruments facilities
(Brian & Bob, Juan,..)
Often this development is not funded as an isolated project - but part of a
larger
project (hence the developments at large instruments).
Vincent
--
Vincent Favre-Nicolin
Université Joseph Fourier
http://v.favrenicolin.free.fr
ObjCryst & Fox : http://objcryst.sourceforge.net
