Re: new releases [was Re: Official public code repository]

[Tim Kelly <gtkelly@...>]

Stephen wrote:

> Business likes stability. Business likes change only when change is
> better than staying where you are. Change includes the cost of training
> and all the new things involved in that as well as the cost of
> deployment and usage.

Right, so where's the long term plan from Lua that I can point to when a prospective client asks for assurances of long term stability?  And where is Lua's documentation showing that a lack of ongoing development (no release date for 5.2, no roadmap, no working version) is actually an indication of stability?  Stability can and does include evolution.  Failure to evolve leads to extinction.  Extinction is not stability.

(The reality, though, is that business doesn't like stability.  Successful businesses do, but the vast majority of businesses rush from technology to technology.)

> Stability, the ability to bank on "this works and works well", sells. It
> means no new investment on new technology. That is exactly where your
> managers are - they don't want to blow money on the wrong technology now
> (is Lua stagnant?), but they do want to invest money in the right
> technology now (Hey, Lua is mature and does what we need, and look Adobe
> use it in one of their main products, must be good and that game my kids
> play, whats that called, "Warcraft World"? that uses Lua too.).

Or they can invest in MS/Oracle/insert big stable player here.  

Maybe there is a different model on the east side of the Atlantic, but here in North America the emphasis is on "recurring revenue," which is based on forcing clients into constant upgrade cycles.  In fact, if you can't pitch a constant upgrade cycle you will be assumed to be incompetent.  Just try to convince a manager they won't need to keep adding virus definitions with an operating system and you'll see what I mean.

> > That's why there is a phrase "buzzword-compliant."  I'm not arguing
> in favor of this - quite the opposite,
> 
> Read "Inside the Tornado". Should give you all the understanding you
> need to completely undermine their arguments by explaining to your
> managers in language and point-of-view they use that the fact Lua is
> mature and has a community is exactly what they are looking for.

I'll try to get a copy.  Conversely, it would be productive for Lua community members to read "Built To Last" and "Good to Great" to understand what differentiates organizations that work for a while and those that stay around for a long time.  Having great products has very little to do with it.

And if this is too off-topic for the list because it isn't considered relevant/pertinent, then that's ok with me and answers my question, too.

tim
--

"Anything war can do, peace can do better."  --  Desmond Tutu