[Ldsoss] Scout Tracking

[Oscar Schultz]

On Friday 07 July 2006 8:05 am, Steven H. McCown wrote:
> Your code (the snippet that I saw) looks fine, your tools sound, but you
> seem to not be concerned with marketing / user aspects.
>
correct - the code is GPL . If someone want to use it great, if not ok. It may 
never compete with troop master but that is not the goal.

> Most that use Linux will have MySQL, Postgres, PHP, and Apache.  However,
> that is still less than 10% of the home user market (real computer geeks
> aside).  While the server market has a much higher Linux adoption rate, the
> home PC market does not.  Very few church buildings do not run Linux as
> they need to run MIS and such.  Very few buildings have open internet
> connections, as well.
>
correct - I'm not writing the code for todays environment. Things change. By 
the time verison 1.0 is out the environment will have changed.

> So who is your customer?  If you're just doing this for your own purposes
> or for a few other interested people, then you're on the right track.
>
me, folks I support, anyone who wants to use the code 

> If you want this to be adopted as a widely-used program for Scouting, then
> you've put up some technological barriers that will preclude interested
> users from participating.
>
I write for the environment I have. If someone wants to do a conversion to 
another environment I have no problem with that.

> The most successful and widely used apps (by home users) are Windows apps
> with an easy installation process.  Also, standalone executable apps are
> predominant in this world.  Java is kind of borderline, but the JRE can be
> insulated from the user.  Users have chosen compiled .exe's, because they
> don't want to maintain an interpretive environment -- unless it's really
> insulated and automatically updated.  Users nearly always choose simple
> over better -- think WinZip over 7-Zip (which I like, btw).
>
> The thread describing Windows users as somewhat half-witted was abrasive,
> but grounded in reality.  Windows users just their apps to work -- they
> don't want to 'fiddle with it'.  They don't care what language or tech is
> used to create an app, rather they just want to install it and forget about
> it and they don't want to have to maintain other tools like Perl or Python.
> The JRE seems to have crossed that barrier for other reasons.
>
> ***I am not criticizing technology or anyone's preference.***
>
> I'm only criticizing a bit so that you don't get done and have everyone
> still having to pay for Scout tracking software, because they wanted a
> familiar and simple platform/environment.
>
> The question that I'm driving at is whether you're architecting towards a
> technological solution that you prefer (or that you consider better) or a
> user-required solution that end users are likely to use .....?

The planned user interface is web based. If someone will only use windows, 
mac, solaris, ??? - no problem - that is why I choose a web based interface. 
I want to separate the ui from backend - with web I can do that. The admin 
problem is more intense - that is why I choose linux over all the other 
options. The mass market is not what I am targeting for. However it can be 
run there - the design should scale up to a cluster or down to a stand alone.

oscar

>
> Steve
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ldsoss-bounces at lists.ldsoss.org
> [mailto:ldsoss-bounces at lists.ldsoss.org] On Behalf Of Oscar Schultz
> Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 11:03 PM
> To: LDS Open Source Software
> Subject: Re: [Ldsoss] Scout Tracking
>
> ...
> My plan is to use either MySQL or PostGRES, php, apache, and linux with a
> web interface.
> ...
>
>
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