On 9/25/2012 3:29 AM, Jon Hurst wrote:
On 2012-09-24, Bowerbird@aol.com wrote:
[snip]
so you're not paying attention to the _real_ problem.
My understanding is that what you refer to as the _real_ problem is how the default version for each final format is selected.
No, the real problem is that Project Gutenberg, or at least those with any influence at Project Gutenberg, are emotionally invested in a process that is 30 years old, and at least 20 years out-of-date. The problem is a political one, and not a technical one, and trying to apply technical solutions to political problems is like trying to teach a pig to sing: it wastes your time, and annoys the pig. My advice: do what ever you want, but document very thoroughly what you're trying to do, and how you're going to do it. In my experience, Dr. Newby has always been very forthcoming with providing hardware and network (i.e. technical) support. Then invite anyone who wants play by your rules to join you. If your documentation is clear and complete, and if your case is compelling, you shouldn't have too much difficulty attracting help. This is exactly what BowerBird has attempted, so you can judge your chance of success by his. In my mind, about the only thing of value that Project Gutenberg currently possesses is the trademark of the Project Gutenberg name. The one thing you /might/ get out of Project Gutenberg is permission to use the name as part of an incubator project. In fact, working with the PGLAF to build an incubator system that allows for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark across many projects would probably be far more valuable that simply another attempt to create a master format using your preferred markup language.