Quote:
Originally Posted by kacir
And keep them fiercely independent. It obviously produces great results ;-)
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Let me explain a little bit.
I wasn't joking when I wrote that.
Very often when higher management, end *especially* non-technical higher management (like financial department, or, God forbid, legal department) starts interfering with the work of programmers, technicians, engineers or designers it has disastrous consequences on the technical quality of results.
Programmers often have to hold back features:
- to "save" them for the next release (that has to be produced, to keep milking the money from customers forced to upgrade (I am looking at you, AutoDesk!))
- to keep customers buying "better" or "server" or "professional" version, or to keep customer buying another product from the same company for just that one feature they need
- to produce dumbed-down, bland version so users that mis-configure the product do not bother support stuff
- to keep out tinkerers and people that want to produce useful add-ons off, so the company can use exclusivity to pimp their add-ons and prevent improvements that would provide "undesired" features
Just look at the Sony readers.
Do you think that the [contracted] programmers that made firmware are inept and can't make folder support? I would bet the programmers were forced to adhere to strict specification put together by some committee where non-programmers and non-technicians vetoed LOTS of interesting suggestions.
Just look at Kindle.
Do you think that programmers working for Amazon are unable to make firmware that would read epub, or html, or FB2 format? Do you think they are unable to port FBReader to the Kindle? I do not think so. They have been told EXACTLY what they can do.
Just look at the iPad.
Users are prevented from running their own applications "for their own good". Phew!
Users are prevented from using their own fonts, or margins, or from setting the justification in iBooks.
So DO keep GiK as independent as possible. I am very, very serious about that!