Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2008 19:19:26 -0800 (PST)
From: david@lang.hm
To: lmage11@twcny.rr.com
cc: Jesper Juhl <jj@chaosbits.net>, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: IRC?
In-Reply-To: <20081230014726.RGDBA.401474.root@hrndva-web19-z02>
Message-ID: <alpine.DEB.1.10.0812291913130.15026@asgard.lang.hm>
References: <20081230014726.RGDBA.401474.root@hrndva-web19-z02>
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On Mon, 29 Dec 2008, lmage11@twcny.rr.com wrote:

> ---- Jesper Juhl <jj@chaosbits.net> wrote:
>> On Mon, 29 Dec 2008, lmage11@twcny.rr.com wrote:
>>>
>> You might want to add your name to that address when sending mail...
>>
>>> I know that Linux kernel development discussion has pretty much always
>>> taken place on mailing lists, but would you guys consider developing a
>>> presence on an IRC network, probably Freenode? There already exists a
>>> ##kernel channel which could be used, and other channels could be
>>> created for specific subsystems. I think it'd be an interesting new
>>> medium to try out for discussion between developers, and it would also
>>> make the developers more accessible to users who find the mailing lists
>>> inconvenient or intimidating. The only subsystem I know of that
>>> maintains a reliable presence on IRC is the DRM subsystem (i.e. Dave
>>> Airlie, Eric Anholt, etc), and it works great.
>>>
>>> Not trying to start a flame war here, just wondering what you guys
>>> think. :)
>>>
>> Everyone and their grandmother knows how to use email - :)
>> Significantly fewer people know how to use IRC - :(
>>
>> The mailing list is archived in various places - :)
>> IRC chats are rarely archived - :(
>>
>> Archiving all LKML mail locally is easy - :)
>> Archiving all of a IRC channel continuously locally is not so easy - :(
>>
>> Email archives are easily searchable by subject, sender etc - :)
>> IRC archives are not so easily searchable by subject etc - :(
>>
>> Email is nicely asynchronous, letting people read and respond at their leisure - :)
>> IRC chats are not as asynchronous - :(
>>
>> Patches are easily distributed via email - :)
>> Patches are not very easily distributed via IRC - :(
>>
>> IRC channels can be a nice suplement when a few people need to discuss
>> something in semi-real-time related to some LKML thread or just some
>> kernel related topic, but it's no replacement for the mailing list.
>
> Yeah, I wasn't proposing it as a replacement... Just as an alternative means of
> communication for those that prefer it. For me personally, it would also make
> kernel developers feel more "accessible", which would be nice.

IRC interrupts people. would you rather the kernel developers feel 
accessible, or get work done?

the kernel developers are very accessable, but they are not on-call to 
respond instantly to your requests.

that being said, some of the developers do use IRC for various things, but 
there is no 'official' place to always find them and no requirement for 
them to be available to be contacted at specific times.

David Lang
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