From: Chad Perrin <perrin@...>
Date: 2007-07-25T17:58:08+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby Editor

On Wed, Jul 25, 2007 at 05:48:36PM +0900, Rimantas Liubertas wrote:
> <...>
> >and
> >with the fact that some people who appear to like TextMate too umbrage at
> >the suggestion that (for the people who prefer open source software, at
> >least) closed source software suffers some limitations in terms of its
> >probable longevity.
> <...>
> 
> I can use real benefits Textmate provides for me *now*, and frankly, I
> don't care about
> any *probable* problems in the future. If TM gets discontinued - fine.
> I still have my
> copy, or I can choose from myriads of other editors, free or non-free,
> open, closed,
> dug-under-the-tree source, whatever.
> I am pretty sure I will die one day, should that be the reason not to
> use benefits of living today?
> Cost of switching your text editor is much less than cost of
> switching, say, your webapp infrastructure (some my argue), so
> concerns about longevity should be viewed in appropriate context.

The problems of a probably reduced lifespan of closed source software
introduced by TextMate is not limited to the fact that TextMate itself is
closed source software.  It also involves the fact that to use TextMate,
one would also have to choose a substantially closed source operating
system.  An OS platform is a significantly greater investment of one's
resources than a text editor.  I prefer to invest in software that is
more likely to survive longer, particularly when doing so applies to the
OS I use.

Nothing exists in a vacuum.

-- 
CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org ]
Amazon.com interview candidate: "When C++ is your hammer, everything starts
to look like your thumb."