Re:Rethinking the computer ‘desktop’ as a concept
by bzzzt on Wednesday June 02, 2021 @07:27AM
(#27367390)
The reason MIDI is a success is the actual data is quite simple. It's just a stream of keypress and numeric control updates. And there's no incentive for a synthesizer manufacturer to block access to incoming or outgoing data.
When your data is complex, the processing done to it will be complex, especially if you need to guarantee invariants (eg. referential integrity or database constraints).
That is a good thing. If program X works best on my data I want to use it. There are a few examples where people do mix programs from different companies. Musicians use MIDI to connect their favorite keyboard to a synthesizer from a different company all the time - sure it is tied to hardware, but it need not be and is a perfect example of what should be possible for any user data: mix and match.
> although the reverse need not be the case.
It doesn't have to be, but if users demand it, it will be.
> Seems like we will need open data and code. Either one open will not do.
Open data means we can create the code. Closed data is a lot harder to deal with than closed code.