[webteam] radical simplicity

[Matthew Wild]

On Sat, May 24, 2008 at 8:35 PM, Robert Martinez <mail at mray.de> wrote:
> Matthew pointed out correctly that we are drifting away from the key
> questions somewhere else in the thread.
> So I restart here.

Good call.

> I have no complete overview of what is "broken" with the current system
> (maybe somebody can put together a list with more precise drupal related
> problems?)
>

Here goes:

Missing clients in the clients list (probably same applies to servers
and libraries). More than once client authors have complained about
this.

http://matthewwild.co.uk/screenshots/jabber.org_1.png
Filters that are complicated, confusing, and don't work.

http://matthewwild.co.uk/screenshots/jabber.org_2.png
Errors.

http://matthewwild.co.uk/screenshots/jabber.org_3.png
Blocks that shouldn't be there. (I am aware that this was to
work-around the Google Analytics module that wasn't working).

http://matthewwild.co.uk/screenshots/jabber.org_4.png
Libraries (happens with servers and clients too) with apparently
missing data: http://matthewwild.co.uk/screenshots/jabber.org_beep.png

However the data is not actually missing:
http://matthewwild.co.uk/screenshots/jabber.org_beep1.png

Add this, to the fact that more things break each time Drupal is
upgraded, compatibility with different modules, is lost, etc.

Probably more things that I don't see right now.

> My attempt would be to re-start the drupal page from scratch, this time with
> all the aspects that made problems right from the start.
> And more important: restart with somebody who likes to work on drupal has
> some experience and time to do so.
>

You previously said we should not start from scratch, as the work to
date would have been a wasted effort. While I didn't agree with that,
I don't see why it makes sense to start again with Drupal, and not
start again with something simpler, which we know won't be a potential
source of unforeseen problems further on down the road.

> If we need to get a temporary other solution (hand-coded or whatever) until
> we're done that will be fine with me.
>

I am happy to help with anything I can.

Matthew.