[sldev] New sldev guidelines / texture cache discussion

[Laurent Laborde]

On 3/25/07, Rob Lanphier <robla at lindenlab.com> wrote:
> Hi everyone,
>
> It seems that most people don't have a problem with the guidelines that
> I posted the other day.  There hasn't been comment for a couple of days,
> so (with a minor tweak allowing for forums as an acceptable target to
> redirect an sldev to) the new guidelines are posted here:
> https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/SLDev

I missed that one :(
I'm afraid i can't agree with the rule "5 post/day -> move to wiki".

A good brainstorming (like the texture cache topic) need some heat.
The wiki isn't able to generate this heat.

Think about how the Texture cache topic became a "hot" and "productive" topic :
1) Random user complaining about slow texture
2) the SLDeveloper complaining too, hear the users, and start to take
a look at the problem. Run some test, think about it, rereun some
test, ...
3) the SLDev' eventually start to talk about it on IRC (with other
SLDev and random user), with other SLDev' : "hey ?! WTF with the slow
texture". Then go to 2) and 3) and 2) and 3) and 2) and 3) and finally
have enough information to post the mailing-list (4) without being
totally ridiculous with his tests and tought.
4) So the SLdev' is posting on the mailing list. Maybe some other
SLDev' camping on IRC will post here too. Some others SLDev' not on
irc at this moment will hear some random SLDev' and ... he's at step
1) ... Step 1) but, instead of "random user", it's SLDev. We just
raised a level.
5) Thoses others SLDev, reading the mailing list, will go through step
1,2,3,4 (eventually skipping IRC or using some other live chat
medium).
6) The mailing generated enough intereset to catch a Linden.Yet
another level completed. (See step 1) and 2), but replace user and
SLDev' by SLDev' and Linden.)
7) Since a linden jump in the topic, it gained a lot more interested
more people will start to think about the topic and eventually start
from 1).
8) Now the topic is hot, and we have all the required ingredients, it
can be cooked using the Wiki. Mixing all the informations, formating
it, adding the required sources (link, specification, paste from the
mailing list and irc and personal work). It's the final touch we'd
like to see after a lot of nice work.

When raising a level, you'll notice that all the other
"lesser-interest" medium weren't forgotten. In fact, they were used
more and more as the topic gain interest.

SecondLife is a typical "cathedral model" with many layers. The
top-level of the cathedral never heard about bottom-level and
seriously don't have to lose time doing that.
Yes, lot of energy and hours are spent. That's the opensource
community : an INSANE amount of time and energy available. More than
any closed-source project (count the hours spent on linux vs an older
project like MS Windows ?). It's here to be used (and we're glad to
help) and people should be free to use at their best the most usefull
medium for them. (may be IRC, mailling-list, wiki)

The wiki should be the place where we can find the most accurate
information : not a place to read random tought and test. And while
the topic is evolving, it still need some random tought and test and
place to talk about it.

For thoses reasons, a topic shouldn't be "moved" to the wiki.
Brainstorming need chaos, don't try to remove the chaos or the project
will stall. (that's exactly what's going to happen with the "texture
cache" topic.)

Again, a lot of energy and time are spent on this "multi-layered"
organisation. But that's exactly the force of the opensource community
: Being able to spend time and energy and let the developpers spend
their time and energy where they want.

And, believe me, when you're given the opportunity to do what you
enjoy to do : you do it with love at the best of your capabilities.
And i'm not sure to find anyone to disagree with that.

> If you have anything to add to the texture cache conversation, please
> add it:
> https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Talk:Texture_cache

For the reason given above, i posted in the mailing list instead of the wiki.
Please forgive me.

-- 
kerunix Flan