RCS System of Files (fwd)

Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 12:03:16 -0300 (ADT)
From: "Andrew D. Wright" <adw@chebucto.ns.ca>
To: ccn-tech@chebucto.ns.ca
cc: CCN Editors <editors@chebucto.ns.ca>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <editors-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>

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	Well, my own simple opinion of RCS after three years of editing
files is to lose it entirely.

	In my own home directory which does not have RCS, I can FTP a file
or go in with Pico and edit it manually, both working equally well. I am
responsible for keeping my own backups and I have yet to have a file
corrupted on me.

	In the many RCS directories I've worked with, I have had lockouts
inadvertantly placed by other editors, files corrupted, files replaced
with older versions, the actual editing is slower (while RCS synchronizes)
and a pile of unwanted, unneeded and non-standard code is added to my
pages. If I use one page as a template (such as the Old News page) then it
accumulates multiple comment tags and code which after a dozen edits or so
I have to eliminate by deleting and recreating the page. 

	I *like* editing in my home directory and I *hate* editing in RCS
directories, because (a) RCS is noticeably slower, (b) adds an
unpredictable element to page updating and (c) serves no bloody purpose.

	If I were the complaining IP (and FWIW, I am a complaining
Chebucto site editor), I would want the thing gone completely. Nice neat
solution. You can edit with text and with FTP equally well and hey - you
can upload multiple files without slowing halifax to a crawl while it
plays with RCS for each file. Not having the dice throw about whether or
not it messes with your page code is pretty sweet also.

	If Tony (bless him) and a couple of other users have to have RCS,
then just leave their directories with it. Purging it from the rest of
Chebucto and in particular from any new IP directories strikes me as a
great idea whose time has come. No need to alter code so FTP-only access
doesn't create it (which ISTR was how this was supposed to have been
resolved last time this surfaced, many months ago), with -no- RCS you can
edit with FTP and text equally well - and it is so much quicker and
easier.

	However, we'll do what we always do: the subject will be talked to
death, a plan of action will be announced and in all likelihood not
followed up on, and everyone will be quiet waiting for the plan to be
implemented until it occurs to them that nothing is happening yet again.
The Chebucto way of doing things in action.



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