Here is the version of the slides that we presented at the Architecture Face-to-Face meeting in Seattle.
caBIGArchitectureFace2Face_050317_dwk.ppt
Past Versions:
caBIGArchitectureFace2Face_050315_dwk.ppt
caBIGArchitectureFace2Face_050316_dwk.ppt
IDE Recommendations: Cathedral and the Bazaar -- Tue, 15 Mar 2005 17:14:57 -0500 reply
I think the slide on IDE recommendations illustrates the scope of what the "Best Practices" SIG can and cannot do, and really helps frame the goal or mission of the SIG.
Using IDEs as an example, I collaborate on an open source project with about 6-8 developers. Some use Eclipse, some use IDEA, others use emacs. Getting us all to use the same IDE is hard, even for the small group that we have, because developers grow fond of tools, and usually want to stick with those that they are most familiar with. Who am I to say that my co-workers should abandon emacs anyway? Having said that, if the Best Practices SIG can serve as a clearinghouse where people can swap ideas and compare notes on IDE features, that's really useful.
Perhaps it's an overused metaphor, but I am sure that most people are familiar with the "Cathedral and the Bazaar" analogy, used to compare closed source projects to open source projects (http://catb.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/). I think it might also be usefully applied to what a Best Practices SIG can and cannot do. For example, it really won't work if the SIG uses a "Cathedral" approach, and dictates that these IDEs are best, use them, or these web service packages are best, use them. Rather, the SIG can gather everyone's ideas into one chaotic bazaar (the wiki), foster dialog between interested participants, and work to disseminate ideas. Individual developers can learn from the bazaar, and pick and choose those things which the most sense to them.
Ethan Cerami