On Jan 29, 2:40 pm, David Kirkby <david.kir...@onetel.net> wrote: > On 27 January 2011 16:49, Niles <nil...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Reading the thread about advertising on StackOverflow > > >http://groups.google.com/group/sage-devel/browse_thread/thread/7b0a47... > > > I started wondering if there are specific suggestions for how a > > programmer who isn't necessarily a mathematician could contribute to > > sage. To get started, here are my ideas: > > There's a whole host of skills that are needed in Sage that do not > require mathematicians. > > IMHO, the biggest problem is a lack of people with good software > engineering skills.
Sure, but why would a person with good software engineering skills step into the swamp? > > People that are good at writing documentation are another group that > could be useful. I think that you mean copy editors. The idea that someone (who didn't know math!) could write documentation for programs that he/she didn't or couldn't write, strikes me as a way to have really poor documentation. Fixing the English (or other natural language) or coming up with a much better presentation format might help. A skilled graphics designer, perhaps. At one point (maybe now?) Wolfram employed more graphics designers than technical people. > > Personally I'd like to see a more colorful web site, with a more > colorful logo. (I seem to be in a minority of one on this I must > admit). Almost any web site could be improved. At what priority? > > Another useful thing would be to get some engineers involved to make > some engineering applications. That would need programming skills, but > also engineering skills. I think you could take all the material from Maxima applications. > > Marketing skills are certainly one that could be useful. That would look odd. "Open source math software project is looking for a skilled marketing person. No need to know any math or programming. No pay." > > I often feel Sage development lacks a plan. You mean sometimes you feel it DOES have a plan? Next time you feel that way, you should write it down! > People add what interests > them, but there seems to be no overall plan. We have a mission of > creating a viable alternative to the 4 M's, but there's no plan how > this might be achieved. Even the mission is kind of defective. What does "viable alternative" mean? RJF -- To post to this group, send an email to sage-devel@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to sage-devel+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/sage-devel URL: http://www.sagemath.org
