The Scope of Treebard
Jan 30, 2022 1:17:03 GMT -8
Post by Uncle Buddy on Jan 30, 2022 1:17:03 GMT -8
To understand me just enough to understand the project, I should mention in passing that I am a perfectionistic slob.
Enough about me.
When I see other projects by either professional programmers or people who've gone to the trouble to appear professional, I think, well, I just don't have the time to worry about what I appear to be. If there's one thing I've learned from doing lots of genealogy, it's this: life's too short. Gotta have some time left over for the real family, right? I mean, chasing down the dead is a great big kick in the pants and all that, but what about the alive people?
Genealogy programs are trying to do many, many things. This is why I decided long ago to start with Treebard GPS and not Treebard v. 0.0.0. I can realistically create a showcase for functionalities, in terms of both the user controls and the database structure, but I can't realistically hope to compete with the do-all types out there who are writing software that will make your morning coffee for you.
What matters to me are the basics for basic users, not the advanced features for people who probably know more about programming than I do; these folks should be writing their own genieware.
At this time I have no particular interest in charts, for example. You can import your GEDCOM to programs that do nothing but make charts.
Although I bash GEDCOM all the time for being a lowest-common-denominator solution to tree sharing, I don't know a better way. Hopefully GEDCOM is improving. I will find out soon enough, if I ever get over the hump I've been trying to get over ever since I started this project. I'm pretty sure I agree with Tamura Jones that being able to export GEDCOM is the most important feature of a genieware.
For me it's not about doing everything the other programs do. It's about doing what I can do, and doing it the best I can. If I had to compete with people who know how to appear shiny and professional... forget it. That circus is not what I enjoy.
Enough about me.
When I see other projects by either professional programmers or people who've gone to the trouble to appear professional, I think, well, I just don't have the time to worry about what I appear to be. If there's one thing I've learned from doing lots of genealogy, it's this: life's too short. Gotta have some time left over for the real family, right? I mean, chasing down the dead is a great big kick in the pants and all that, but what about the alive people?
Genealogy programs are trying to do many, many things. This is why I decided long ago to start with Treebard GPS and not Treebard v. 0.0.0. I can realistically create a showcase for functionalities, in terms of both the user controls and the database structure, but I can't realistically hope to compete with the do-all types out there who are writing software that will make your morning coffee for you.
What matters to me are the basics for basic users, not the advanced features for people who probably know more about programming than I do; these folks should be writing their own genieware.
At this time I have no particular interest in charts, for example. You can import your GEDCOM to programs that do nothing but make charts.
Although I bash GEDCOM all the time for being a lowest-common-denominator solution to tree sharing, I don't know a better way. Hopefully GEDCOM is improving. I will find out soon enough, if I ever get over the hump I've been trying to get over ever since I started this project. I'm pretty sure I agree with Tamura Jones that being able to export GEDCOM is the most important feature of a genieware.
For me it's not about doing everything the other programs do. It's about doing what I can do, and doing it the best I can. If I had to compete with people who know how to appear shiny and professional... forget it. That circus is not what I enjoy.