[MPEG-OTSPEC] Introducing breaking changes into the spec (was: RE: [EXTERNAL] Proposal to deprecate derived search values)

[Peter Constable]

Not trying to shut anything down…

> Font compiler and rendering stack are open source

There are open source font compiler and rendering stack implementations, and that can definitely help facilitate hacking on new ideas.

Just don’t confuse that with eventual adoption of new ideas: the implementation landscape is far more complex than current OSS compiler/rendering implementations.


Peter

From: mpeg-otspec <mpeg-otspec-bounces at lists.aau.at> On Behalf Of Roderick Sheeter
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 8:30 AM
To: Simon Cozens <simon at simon-cozens.org>
Cc: mpeg-otspec <mpeg-otspec at lists.aau.at>
Subject: Re: [MPEG-OTSPEC] Introducing breaking changes into the spec (was: RE: [EXTERNAL] Proposal to deprecate derived search values)

I see the hackers path as wide open! Font compiler and rendering stack are open source, we can (and IMHO should) play with implementation as early as we like without regard for business cases and spec changes. Q

We just have to remember if we want other people to implement we need to do our due diligence at some point and get the spec updated.

On Tue, Sep 15, 2020, 12:22 AM Simon Cozens <simon at simon-cozens.org<mailto:simon at simon-cozens.org>> wrote:
On 15/09/2020 04:50, David Lemon wrote:
> But I'd seriously emphasize Peter's points about building the business
> case. I kinda get the sense Dave thinks it will all be self evident, but
> that's not how business cases work. As someone who struggled to get
> required buy-in for some of the main developments we use today, I can
> assure you there's no such thing as a no-brainer.

As much as it pains me (as a gung-ho developer) to admit this, I think
you're right. Unless there are clear and compelling reasons to move to
something else, it won't happen. Building both the business case and the
coalition is really important.

That said, I would strongly *recommend* putting the cart before the
horse! Or at least allowing the cart and the horse to be in whatever
order people like. For some of the people you want to have involved, a
period of frenzied, anything-goes creativity about what a new font
format might look like (whether here or elsewhere) will expose where the
energy is and where the current pain points are much better than forcing
them to articulate a business-focused justification. So long as all
concerned are aware that this is just brainstorming and not every wild
idea is likely to be taken up, then I think it's important not to quench
that creativity too prematurely. We can attack the issue from both ends
simultaneously: gather ideas and building the business case. Indeed,
each will need to inform the other.

To put it another way, thinking about implementation is precisely how
developers express what's important to them.

S
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