[meta-sig] Proposal for new SIG: RISC OS SIG

[Laurence Tratt]

This message is a proposal for creating a new SIG for RISC OS desktop
computer machines (up until a couple of weeks ago, these were exclusively
manufactured by Acorn Computers and hence tended to be called Acorn RISC OS
computers). My thinking behind this thread is that RISC OS Python (ports
have been available for a couple of years now) is now at a fairly important
point: RISC OS is a very different operating system from anything else out
there, and has many different ways of doing things to everyone else (not
necessarily better, but definitely different). In the short term, a
discussion group for working out the best way for mapping some of the
undecided Unix-type features to RISC OS features would be a good thing for
getting a concensus on some of the less obvious / contentious changes. After
that a general group for RISC OS Python users along the lines of the
pythonmac SIG would be useful.

Here's the more formal stuff in a draft version (somewhat confidently
written ;)):

"""
Short blurb
===========

A SIG for RISC OS Python.


Longer blurb
============

The RISC OS SIG has two aims: initially to get a port of Python with as many
facilities as possible running (both standard and extensions), working
successfully and in a RISC OS friendly manner whilst also easing future
porting by trying to merge any important changes back into the relevant
source trees and developing appropriate tools to aid in these aims. Also to
develop Python-friendly versions to integrate with RISC OS facilities.

Its longer term aim is to provide a discussion area for RISC OS Python
end-users, the developers of RISC OS Python and its extensions and also as
an announcement area for new versions etc.
"""


My personal guess for the end-dates for these two aims is around 6 months
for the initial aim, and an undetermined length for the second aim
(basically until RISC OS dies for whatever reason): checking on its progress
every 6 months or so might be sensible.

My reasoning for wanting to create a SIG for RISC OS is that there is a
similar list for RISC OS Perl and - until they lost their way a bit by
getting over-enthusastic about not releasing non-beta versions - that was
very successful and useful. Python sits far more comfortably on top of RISC
OS than Perl does (there are even interfaces to the RISC OS WIMP already
developed/developing) and has the potential to generate quite a lot of
interest if "marketed" properly. Also the number of extensions - the vast
majority of which need at least some fiddling to work under RISC OS (see
filename extensions ;)) - for Python is increasing with time and so a
continued forum for discussion about their integration with RO Python would
be very useful.

I would appreciate any comments anyone has on this. I suppose by doing this
I am volunteering to be the SIGs coordinator ;)


Laurie