Seismic Library - Revision history

Bert at 22:43, 9 February 2009

2009-02-09T22:43:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:43, 9 February 2009
Line 11:		Line 11:
	* The richest feature set? Hmmm. Self-describing, extensible is nice.		* The richest feature set? Hmmm. Self-describing, extensible is nice.

	== Real aims ==		==== Real aims ====
	OK, but what aims are 'rock-hard'?		OK, but what aims are 'rock-hard'?
	# As many people as possible benefit. From acquisition to interpretation, from university to contractor, from researcher to IT professional, from beginning student to the highly experienced software developer.		# As many people as possible benefit. From acquisition to interpretation, from university to contractor, from researcher to IT professional, from beginning student to the highly experienced software developer.
Line 17:		Line 17:
	# The library is easy to use. As easy as possible. Not easier than that.		# The library is easy to use. As easy as possible. Not easier than that.

	== Rules ==		==== Rules ====
	There are no hidden agenda's. If you're in, you will strive to help the aims set above. Employers, money, old habits? In doubt, you go against those. Just to keep a clean conscience.		There are no hidden agenda's. If you're in, you will strive to help the aims set above. Employers, money, old habits? In doubt, you go against those. Just to keep a clean conscience.

	== How? ==		==== How? ====
	You can sit behind your screen and specify formats and interfaces days, weeks, months - until you're blue in the face. Documents grow, and every model you make is more beautiful than the previous. Then finally, your models are good enough so you can start programming. Oops. Within a few days you've proven that your models are wrong. You've learned the hard way what thousands of professionals ignore day-in-day-out: it doesn't work that way.		You can sit behind your screen and specify formats and interfaces days, weeks, months - until you're blue in the face. Documents grow, and every model you make is more beautiful than the previous. Then finally, your models are good enough so you can start programming. Oops. Within a few days you've proven that your models are wrong. You've learned the hard way what thousands of professionals ignore day-in-day-out: it doesn't work that way.

	== So, how? ==		==== So, how? ====

	Specifications in our sort of environments develop during actual software development. What you can do, is make one		Specifications in our sort of environments develop during actual software development. What you can do, is make one
Line 33:		Line 33:

	Then, start cracking. The Open Source way is to specify by implementing. A function that works is worth a thousand words of specification. Read about the [http://www.martinfowler.com/articles/newMethodology.html Agile] way, and pick up the good bits. Keep communicating, and improving. Prepare for change; in particular, make sure the data versioning system is brilliant. Contribution is great but keep the evil forces away.		Then, start cracking. The Open Source way is to specify by implementing. A function that works is worth a thousand words of specification. Read about the [http://www.martinfowler.com/articles/newMethodology.html Agile] way, and pick up the good bits. Keep communicating, and improving. Prepare for change; in particular, make sure the data versioning system is brilliant. Contribution is great but keep the evil forces away.

			==== Why? ====

			Why do this? Why invest time and effort? There are free libs around. Pick one and get over it.

			* What are these zillion other routines? When will the build finish?
			* Everybody can see that my lib is the best. Other people must be idiots!
			* Oh, I thought it was free and open and LGPL?
			* Duh! This stuff is <u>hard</u>!
			* This code must have been made when seismograms were still analog!
			* Huh? They now adopted some kind of brain-dead 'standard'?

			Let's face it. Seismic data needs a base library with no strings attached. It needs to be free and usable. It needs to be neutral. It needs to get the job done. We need to make it.

Bert at 22:19, 9 February 2009

2009-02-09T22:19:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:19, 9 February 2009
Line 3:		Line 3:

	==== Imagine ====		==== Imagine ====
	Imagine a world where seismic data access is a done deal. Because of a de-facto, free, easy-to-use library made by a group of enthusiasts. A truly open, usable and free Open Source initiative. No pile of format descriptions, no fat libraries intended for other purposes, just seismic data - read and write.		Imagine a world where seismic data access is a done deal. Because of a de-facto, free, easy-to-use library made by a group of enthusiasts. A truly open, usable and free Open Source initiative. No pile of format descriptions, no fat libraries intended for other purposes, just seismic data - read and write. Something that works from day one.

	==== Aims ====		==== Aims ====
	''You can't always get what you want. But sometimes, you get what you need.''		''You can't always get what you want. But sometimes, you get what you need.''
	:The fastest trace-in-town? No chance. But pretty fast - cool.		* The fastest-trace-in-town? No chance anyway. But pretty fast ''is'' cool.
	:Super-slim super-compressed files? Nah. But deep down we know that size does matter.		* Super-slim super-compressed files? Nah. But deep down we know that size ''does'' matter.
	:The richest feature set? Hmmm.		* The richest feature set? Hmmm. Self-describing, extensible is nice.

	== Real aims ==		== Real aims ==
	OK, but what aims are 'rock-hard'?		OK, but what aims are 'rock-hard'?
	# As many people as possible benefit. From acquisition to interpretation, from university to contractor, from researcher to IT professional, from beginning student to ~~highly~~ the highly experienced software developer.		# As many people as possible benefit. From acquisition to interpretation, from university to contractor, from researcher to IT professional, from beginning student to the highly experienced software developer.
	# Data once written will be readable. Always. And you know what you're getting. Always.		# Data once written will be readable. Always. And you know what you're getting. Always.
			# The library is easy to use. As easy as possible. Not easier than that.

	== Rules ==		== Rules ==
	There are no hidden agenda's. If you're in, you will strive to help the aims set above. Employers, money, old habits? In doubt, you go against those. Just to keep a clean conscience.		There are no hidden agenda's. If you're in, you will strive to help the aims set above. Employers, money, old habits? In doubt, you go against those. Just to keep a clean conscience.

	==		== How? ==
			You can sit behind your screen and specify formats and interfaces days, weeks, months - until you're blue in the face. Documents grow, and every model you make is more beautiful than the previous. Then finally, your models are good enough so you can start programming. Oops. Within a few days you've proven that your models are wrong. You've learned the hard way what thousands of professionals ignore day-in-day-out: it doesn't work that way.

			== So, how? ==

			Specifications in our sort of environments develop during actual software development. What you can do, is make one
			or a couple of documents scanning the problem domain, identifying what kinds of problems are the likely ones that need to be grappled with. Things like: what sort of data and procedures are common in acquisition,
			processing and interpretation? How does this differ from research to hard-core production work? Or this one: what computer language(s) is/are the target(s)?

			Therefore, we'd need input from many sides, from people who are willing to put aside their economic, emotional and historical stakes - but rather approach the problem from the more philosophical side. The result is an inventory of
			knowledge, tensions, existing techniques, resources, visions, ... and take it from there.

			Then, start cracking. The Open Source way is to specify by implementing. A function that works is worth a thousand words of specification. Read about the [http://www.martinfowler.com/articles/newMethodology.html Agile] way, and pick up the good bits. Keep communicating, and improving. Prepare for change; in particular, make sure the data versioning system is brilliant. Contribution is great but keep the evil forces away.

Bert at 21:38, 9 February 2009

2009-02-09T21:38:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:38, 9 February 2009
Line 1:		Line 1:
	Imagine a world where seismic data access is a done deal ~~- because~~ of a de-facto, free, easy-to-use library made by a group of enthusiasts.		== SeismIO ==


			==== Imagine ====
			Imagine a world where seismic data access is a done deal. Because of a de-facto, free, easy-to-use library made by a group of enthusiasts. A truly open, usable and free Open Source initiative. No pile of format descriptions, no fat libraries intended for other purposes, just seismic data - read and write.

			==== Aims ====
			''You can't always get what you want. But sometimes, you get what you need.''
			:The fastest trace-in-town? No chance. But pretty fast - cool.
			:Super-slim super-compressed files? Nah. But deep down we know that size does matter.
			:The richest feature set? Hmmm.

			== Real aims ==
			OK, but what aims are 'rock-hard'?
			# As many people as possible benefit. From acquisition to interpretation, from university to contractor, from researcher to IT professional, from beginning student to highly the highly experienced software developer.
			# Data once written will be readable. Always. And you know what you're getting. Always.

			== Rules ==
			There are no hidden agenda's. If you're in, you will strive to help the aims set above. Employers, money, old habits? In doubt, you go against those. Just to keep a clean conscience.

			==

Sfomel: New page: Imagine a world where seismic data access is a done deal - because of a de-facto, free, easy-to-use library made by a group of enthusiasts.

2009-02-06T16:30:41Z

New page: Imagine a world where seismic data access is a done deal - because of a de-facto, free, easy-to-use library made by a group of enthusiasts.

New page

Imagine a world where seismic data access is a done deal - because of a de-facto, free, easy-to-use library made by a group of enthusiasts.