Today the Hobbyist, Tommorow, The World!

[DBloke]

Kyle Furlong wrote:
> I'm becoming more and more convinced that D needs a polished presence. How did Java succeed? Marketing. Plain and simple, the first revisions sucked, but got evangelized extremely effectively. How much better, since we have a quality compiler, to market it.
>
100% Agreement.

> While I appreciate this feeling, this mode of operation will only gain us a certain base of users, i.e. hobbyists and one man operations who can afford to invest in a new language on just its merits. Everyone else (read, the majority of the IT world) cannot form decisions only on the merits of a compiler. Organizations need reassurances of a polished presence. This means documentation, support, packaging, and marketing.

What D *really* needs is unification among the Community, D is already very
powerful but in this day and age it is just arcane not to have a decent *RAD GUI
IDE* to compliment the language, as well as a useful framework library, look at
Net and Java, there is nothing fundamentally new or great that stands out in
these languages, they are themselves a branch off of C, but they do have
excellent libraries and a plethora of RAD GUI IDE's to make them more attractive
to developers.

When I was at college we were only allowed to use a text editor, make files and
command line to program and were considered whingers if we said otherwise, today
a good RAD GUI IDE is considered the norm in places of education, and definitely
in the work place, no company is going to seriously consider D while it lacks a
decent GUI library and a half decent IDE, Poseidon looks promising but is using
what appears to be a now defunct DWT for its GUI framework.

> To this end, I propose the formation of an organization/committee, headed by Walter, to guide the process of creating this polished presence.
>
Good idea, but why not head it up yourself?
Let Walter concentrate on what he does best, the more time Walter is detracted
from D = Less progress in making D even better.

> Some things which this committee should consider are:
>
> 1. Unified std library which is 100% covered and stable.
*A unified D Community*

> 2. Formation of a GUI /team/ to pick and/or develop further a cross platform solution.
>
Yes this is a good idea

> Aside: It must be a team. DWT is stagnant because Shawn doesnt have time, and no one else understands the code well enough to continue.
>
100% Agree *Team* is the key word here many hands make light work, many brains
make for many ideas which makes for better programs, take the best of everything
and create perfection.

> 3. Choice of a new mascot/revamp of D-man. Also consider a new name.
>
I kind of like D Man he looks kind of retro :)

I am all for contributing in a team effort, but feel my efforts would be
ineffective channelling my energies into half finished one man efforts, and
please do not take that comment personally, but to create something of the
magnitude that is required to really lift D head and shoulders above the rest
requires more than one or two people, it needs the whole community!

Just my two pennies worth

DBloke

Follow the path paved with treasure,
For a treacherous journey with little pleasure,
Follow the path that seems much longer, 
For a shorter journey and a soul much stronger.