JOSM developers meetup at Karlsruhe?

[Dirk Stöcker]

On Mon, 15 Oct 2018, Michael Zangl wrote:

> Since you are the one one objecting the loudest so far and won't be 
> attending, what are the points that would convince you to do one of the 
> following:
>
> * Switch to a different build system

It must have advantages over the current one and must work offline and 
without third party server infrastructure.

> * Switch to a different / decentralized source versioning system?

It must have advantages over the current one and must work without third 
party server infrastructure.

> * Change the project layout fundamentally (different source dir layout)

I have no opinion here. Can't remember that I ever voiced either pro nor 
contra. If it makes sense why not? Thought the general rule applies here 
as well: It must have advantages over the current layout.

And changes must be incremental, like all JOSM changes.

> * Change the way in which JOSM is started (e.g. to replace webstart)

I don't use Webstart myself, as I don't use Windows. Whatever solution is 
the best here should be implemented. In the history Webstart was not the 
suggested solution, people downloaded the installers or the JAR-files as 
main method. Webstart has a lot of advantages and keeping an method as 
simple as that working would be a fine goal.

But probably changing the exe to be a full-featured compiled Java exe is 
also a good way. That decision is up to the Windows users and developers.

> For most proposals, you currently have a "is no option" opinion, which makes 
> it difficult for us to discuss anything we could apply later.

Don't mix that: For the first two points I currently have a big no, as 
suggestions involve mostly relying on third party services (in case of git 
even on Microsoft). I'm too long in this business to ever do that again 
for a critical infrastructure component.

It was simply too often that services said "Sorry, we terminate this now" 
or even "We encriple this now" to me that I trust such things if I can do 
otherwise in a similar way. ATM we could simply copy our backup to a new 
server and go on in case our service is shutdown now (with some hard work 
reinstalling...). I don't want to give up that possibility for a bit of 
additional niceties.

Ciao
-- 
http://www.dstoecker.eu/ (PGP key available)