> > how do you explain the success of others open source projects ?
> Success in what regard?  Quality or geek usage?

yes quality, speed of development, reactivity, innovation ..

> What about Linux kernel
> 2.4.15?  I have yet to see a Linux open source project of quality
comparable
> to that POV-Ray when it comes to stability, ease of portability or any
> documentation.

(i'm not a specialist of linux world )
hmmm gcc (the gnu compiler) runs on many platforms, or also gtk+ the
graphical toolkit library.. and there are certainly much more

> The only project close to POV-Ray is Apache, and they have at least one
> trillion worth of financial backup in form of every server vendor on the
> planet.  And their development model is fairly will controlled as well and
> taking place in a field that only needs very widespread knowledge you can
> learn about everywhere.

i've never looked at apache code but i'm pretty sure building a web server
is not that easy ..
Personnaly i prefer to look at pov source rather than apache source :)

> Contrary to this, POV-Ray is near the edge of ongoing research, i.e. in
> areas of radiosity and photon maps.  Obviously the point of entry of new
> developers is much higher than that of a webserver or kernel, to offer
only
> two examples...

you can write simple (yet valuable) patch for povray without knowing
anything about monte-carlo integration
example : i don't think a Ph.D. degree in physical optic is necessary to
write a pattern/shader patch

> The rewrite thingy is the major problem.  As outlined above, ray-tracing
is
> slightly more complicated than a webserver or a kernel.  Unfortunately
many
> people think ray-tracing is as trivial as a webserver, which is far, far
> from the truth.

actually the basic algorithm of ray-tracing IS trivial , it's when you add
optimisations with octree, light buffer, or more complex physical
simulations such as radiosity, or photon that it gets non-trivial

> So your argument completely missed the point.  If you disagree, ask
yourself
> why the most recent GPL ray-tracer project (I think it was called
Panorama)
> failed so early?  According to your theory it should have been more
> successful.....

i've never said that *every* open source project is a success (it's clear
that some may fail)
povray is widely used and known , i think that if it was a more open project
(with a core team that verify and commit patches if you want it this way) it
will attract some talented programmers

(well i can understand your opinion.. may be that if i was in pov team the
idea of people coming to ruin my code will scare me too :)))

M

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