Re:Do we need to move away from Elm?
by RubenSandwich on Saturday March 03, 2018 @03:46PM
(#16511478)
A major problem that I see with Elm is that it seems, from the outside, to have a bus factor of 1. Looking at the commits for the compiler and other core libraries you only see one name over and over again: Evans.
Evan has created a very streamlined and pleasurable frontend experience, but IMO his tight control of it will lead to it's demise for a variety of reasons:
1. Something happens to Evan (Hopefully not)
2. Evan decides the foundations need to be replaced (For example if he moves away from the 'Elm Architecture', it will cause a great rewrite and when great rewrites happen developers evaluate other options. e.g. Angular 1 -> Angular 2.)
3. Evan gets burnt out
I'm okay with a BDFL, but not a sole maintainer. I think he needs to raise up others to maintain it for it's long-term health.
Note: Creatively I can understand his desire to control the experience. It also make it feel very unique as a programming language where you are guided in a very narrow path in development, but I believe like most creative works they get better with remixing. When the idea is allowed to be evolved, played with, broken and pushed. Yes, most of those changes will be bad but how else can we know besides trying? Those extensions of Elm's ideas are sadly currently happening outside of the Elm ecosystem because of Evans control, which I think will also lead to it's slow demise.
Re:Do we need to move away from Elm?
by steinuil on Saturday March 03, 2018 @08:03PM
(#16512695)
I think Evan is too protective of the language to let anybody else maintain it right now, the first step would be for him to realize that he should give it up just a bit.
Evan has created a very streamlined and pleasurable frontend experience, but IMO his tight control of it will lead to it's demise for a variety of reasons:
1. Something happens to Evan (Hopefully not)
2. Evan decides the foundations need to be replaced (For example if he moves away from the 'Elm Architecture', it will cause a great rewrite and when great rewrites happen developers evaluate other options. e.g. Angular 1 -> Angular 2.)
3. Evan gets burnt out
I'm okay with a BDFL, but not a sole maintainer. I think he needs to raise up others to maintain it for it's long-term health.
Note: Creatively I can understand his desire to control the experience. It also make it feel very unique as a programming language where you are guided in a very narrow path in development, but I believe like most creative works they get better with remixing. When the idea is allowed to be evolved, played with, broken and pushed. Yes, most of those changes will be bad but how else can we know besides trying? Those extensions of Elm's ideas are sadly currently happening outside of the Elm ecosystem because of Evans control, which I think will also lead to it's slow demise.