[OS X TeX] Why I no longer participate actively on this list.

[Claus Gerhardt]

This afternoon I decided not to participate any longer actively on  
this list. First, I wanted to do this quietly, but then concluded  
that a short notice and an explanation might be in order. The  
explanation is copied below.

Claus



	From: 	  Gerben.Wierda
	Subject: 	Re: [OS X TeX] /usr/local/texprograms -> /Library/ 
ActiveTeXPrograms
	Date: 	November 30, 2006 18:26:44 GMT+01:00
	To: 	  gerhardt


> These possible settings make switching tex sources ugly. Dick's
> original idea of setting a symlink in /usr/local, such that the  
> path to
>
tex would be universally defined as /usr/local/texprograms, on the
contrast, is simple and beautiful. Users could easily switch to

> different tex sources , if they wish, without changing any settings.
>
> Your reservations against /usr/local as the directory for the symlink
>
are insignificant  since those users who share /usr/local over a network
can easily adjust when being confronted with this symlink.

Ok, this is it. I will not keep my mouth shut any longer (though I will
for now refrain of correcting you in public). One reason I am ending
support: I have come at the end of my patience with boorish thunderheads
(of which there are very, very few, but those that are available have  
been
very, very irritating).

Basically, you seem to have no idea of the complications you are getting
into / are talking about and your idea of supporting people seems to be
that you will not bother.

Your ideas of significant/insignificant seems to be based on your  
personal
situation/ideas/capabilities and have nothing to do with other people.
Your ideas of what is easy are based on what is easy for you. I have a
surprise for you: what is easy for other people is determined not by you
but by those other people. And I am sorry for you, but there is *no* way
around that statement unless you are a complete idiot. There are things
which you will find very, very easy and which completely baffle  
others who
are by no means stupid, but who just have no experience/feeling/skills
with the technical issues that are required. The same is true for what
people fin aesthetically pleasing and what not. You, mny friend, are not
the final judge on easy, nice, clean, good, etc. The real world is  
made up
wityh conflicting meanings and emotions and finding an optimum there  
is a
lot more difficult than just thinking you are the only judge on the
matter. Not being able to understand that you are not the one who can
decide for others what they shoul dthink/find makes you rather  
handicapped
when you want to propose solutions.

You are apparently also unable to see that the technical proposal at  
hand
actually enables a complete shielding of the user from the  
intricacies of
the technical layout underneath by having the option of a well  
abstracted
multiple distributions setup (and I think this is useful even for non
geeks in areas where development is taking place. It is nice to be  
able to
switch and safely try something else out but to be able to switch back
anyway). Would you not like to have your man pages give you the
information of the programs that you are running (and not from some
different distribution)? How is this simple link going to solve that?
/Library/TeX/Distributions/Default/Man will always be correct and the  
only
thing you have to change to switch is /Library/TeX/Distributions/Default
(or Default.texdist I have to look into that)

Claus, you probably mean well but have no idea how complex things can
become and you also have no idea that you have no idea.

In your tone I am reminded somewhat of a certain RMcD who has frequented
the fora.

You are probably very pissed off now. Good. Slow down, have a good  
decent
German beer in a Kneipe and think about the one statement above you  
cannot
circumvent (about not you but other people defining what is easy for
themselves). You are probably a nicely logical animal. Please take that
truth to its logical conclusion.

G


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