[Ardour-Users] not upgrading...

[Jörn Nettingsmeier]

On 12/16/2009 11:53 PM, Mark Greenwood wrote:

> Get it working. Then leave it alone. Do not think that the latest new
> feature will help you bring your ideas to life - it will not. It will
> only take up your time, time that could be spent playing music.
>
> I know professional studios who still run Atari STs with Cubase
> version 1, because it works. They're not interested in the latest
> features, they're interested in making music.
>
> Linux is a marvellous thing, but getting a Linux DAW to work is a
> large investment of time. Once you have it working, leave it alone.
> Leave it alone until the hardware stops working. It's the only way.
>
> This is my advice. See rule 2.

sound advice, certainly. this approach will keep users sane who don't 
want too much of their energy tied up with computing issues.

and here's the *but*:
it doesn't really work in an open-source ecosystem, if you want support 
from developers and exchange with fellow users, because the latest and 
greatest is where it's at, with all the associated loss of productive time.

in my view, time spent on getting the latest updates to run (and filing 
the appropriate bug reports en route) is my free software license fee. 
in doing so, i lose studio time, but i contribute directly to the 
improvement of the software, by finding bugs and helping (and getting 
help from) others on mailing lists and irc.

that does not invalidate your advice, though. to each their own.
but can i suggest that the less people follow the latest development and 
provide feedback and quality assurance (yes, that's us who have to do it 
:), the more they should be encouranged to contribute financially.

0.02€,

jörn




-- 
Jörn Nettingsmeier

Audio engineer
Meister für Veranstaltungstechnik (Bühne/Studio)

Lortzingstr. 11, D-45128 Essen, Germany
+49 177 7937487

http://stackingdwarves.net