🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <HERRING.92Nov2172745@loke.iesd.auc.dk> herring@iesd.auc.dk (B.  
Erickson Herring) writes:
> 
> I also mean no offense, but I have a queastion for you Gordon:  
> 
> Why do you program?  Is this just a job, or what?  If it _is_ just a
> job, then surely your time is worth buying a "real" tool to do your
> icons. 
>

It's a job that I like quite a lot (note I'm reading Usenet news at 1:00  
AM). I work about 70 hours a week. I'd buy a "real" tool if one were  
available. I didn't used to have to though, as Icon met my needs (although  
it was cryptic and buggy). You could do a lot of great stuff with it.  
Trust me - I buy a lot of "real" tools.

>
> Shouldn't you guys be using a graphic artist, anyway?
> 

Well we've used several. It's difficult to find artists that are  
comfortable dealing with low-res graphics that are viewed in 2-bit, much  
less alpha channel considerations. We've had less than stellar results  
from otherwise-competent artists. There are some NeXT artists out there,  
but they're pretty expensive. I can't afford $1000 an icon, thank you.

> 
> IconBuilder replaces nothing.  Icon.app was a demo.  It was completely
> unsupported, no promises.  It broke under 3.0, and the original author
> has left the company to pursue other interests (if Sulley is to be
> beleived, his initials were even removed from the 3.0 icons :-( ...).
> 

I know the history pretty well. Just because something is in the demo  
folder doesn't mean that a community of people won't come to depend on it,  
especially in light of the lack of commercial alternatives. I'm not cheap,  
there just aren't any other options just yet. Also I'm not sure that a  
programmer leaving is a great reason to not continue supporting a piece of  
software. 

> I think that NeXT made a good faith effort to get us something, and
> went one step further by giving us an opportunity to make a community
> project out of it.  If that is not enough for all of you that are
> upset, your comments are probably welcome at NeXT.  Like the plague, I
> imagine...
> 

I agree that "NeXT made a good faith effort to get us something". At first  
I was delighted that there was a replacement for Icon. But once I started  
to use it I realized it had about 1/5 of the capability.  At least  
IconBuilder is in the /NextDeveloper/Apps folder - maybe we can imply it  
will be supported.

A community project sounds like fun. Really. But until the project is  
over, we STILL need to make icons!

Your final comment implies that you feel I hold hostility toward NeXT (or  
vice-versa). Not at all. I love the machine and I like working with the  
company (most of the time). There are some excellent people there, and I  
enjoy talking with them. I think there is room for polite criticism when  
it's due though, and this is a good forum to calmly discuss our feelings  
as a group.

Gordon



-- 
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Gordon Van Huizen           vox: 619.488.9411  fax: 619.488.3045
Metrosoft                   gvh@metrosoft.com [NeXTmail welcome]
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