[oclug] Open Source Oppositions Get Serious

[Roger Messier]

On Tue, 08 Oct 2002 22:10:26 -0400
Robert Echlin <rechlin at ncf.ca> wrote:

> Hi, David.
> 
> I clearly said 20 versions, not 20 years.
> As far as I know, Latex went through a very few versions, and a very few
> 
> dot releases - because it was very reliable with very few bugs.
> 
> Would you mind confirming for me that this is the same version you have
> had for the last 10 or more years?
> 
> And here are some other questions:
> Can you insert PNG files into your documents?
> How about SVG?
> Can you convert XML input files?
> Can you save in XML format or even HTML?
> 
> There are many reasons why new versions of software happen.
> Changes in the external environment are important to some software user 
> communities.
> Often that means that file formats will expand to accommodate new
> information.
> 
> Lately it also means that many document systems allow the user to
> maintain one source document for several output formats to reduce rework
> and errors.
> 
> I don't think Latex handles all that. It just does what it does, very
> well.

Which is "The Unix Way".  A tool that does one thing, and that thing very
well, and that can be combined with other tools.

-- 
Roger Messier
rogerm at subdimension.com
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves
for they shall never cease to be amused.