Project goals, a personal account by Francis
These are my basic goals for TortoiseCVS.
- For Windows users to be able to do all their everyday work with TortoiseCVS. For example, I don't have any other CVS client installed on my main computer. However, for complex and rare operations I use the command line from another machine.
- To keep the interface very simple for the user. This means not having configuration dialogs that you have to go to before things work, and instead asking questions where the answers are needed for the first time. It means doing as much as possible automatically, by being clever rather than bloating the user with extra options to worry about.
Different people on the development team may have different goals, and so might you. That doesn't mean we aren't interested in each other's code. Goals can change.
Why do I work on TortoiseCVS for free?
Initial motivations
- Had an itch to scratch. Saw a way to improve the interface to CVS on Windows, so did it.
- My contribution improves my work environment (i.e. useful for my work, but not essential)
- Technically entertaining, challenging and amusing to modify Explorer, especially with GPL code.
My hand was forced
- Based on GPL code from WinCVS, so it had to be open source
- Nobody would pay for it, as a good free alternative existed
Later motivations
- It's fun to work on something that thousands of people use
- An opportunity to learn non-programming skills, such as project management, publicity
- Work with and get to know interesting, bright people from all over the world
- Doing a good job of everything that I do
- Good CV material for getting a job related to open source software
Philosophical motivations
- Politically and emotionally I like open source software, and this is a practical expression of that
- Much more satisfying to write code that I still own, rather than as a serf for a company where the code gets lost eventually
![[ Ekaa akyekyere ne
nwa nko a nka tuo nnto hamu da. 'If it were only the tortoise and the
snail, the gun would never be fired.' A symbol of peace ]](tortoise-peace.jpeg)
Sign spotted at Kakum National Park, Ghana