[LAU] why shouldn't clients autoconnect to jack

[alex stone]

On Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 6:09 PM, Nick Copeland <nickycopeland at hotmail.com>wrote:

>
>
> I agree that there needs to be an option to either auto-connect or not, my
> personal opinion is that auto-connect should be the default since the
> alternative of knowing everything puts too high a barrier to entry on Linux
> systems. What I mean by "knowing everything" is that without some
> auto-config then a first time user needs to find out and understand all the
> reasons and options that are preventing their application generating audio.
> The opposing situation is that an experienced user would have to find out
> the correct way to tune their environment overriding the auto-config
> features, something they are going to have to do anyway. There are plenty of
> similar mandates from other musical technologies, even MIDI specified that
> an instrument, per default, should always come up first time in OMNI mode
> and accept MIDI from any channel. That way the first time user can connect a
> cable and get started. Once they are happy they can bolt down their own
> channels, settings, etc, that fit their developing environment.
>
>
> > Nick, i'd have to disagree with this.
> >
> > Operating Jack was easy, including cabling ports. It was figuring out the
> tweaks, compatability, etc, that took time, and patience.
> >
> > So i'm one of those users that you say is indicative of an autoconnect
> dumbing down process. I think you missed the mark.
>
> I don't think any option given by a program implies dumbing down, the very
> fact that options are available imply user awareness in able to use them
> correctly, this issue is more about what are reasonable defaults for any
> option supported by a program.
>
> Do you think that apps should then never, ever autoconnect? Personally I
> still don't see the logic behind not having this as a default behaviour as
> long as it can be overridden as discussed by Arnold.
>
> > now i'm a little wiser using linux, the LAST thing i'd want is an app
> autoconnecting
>
> By implication, for people who are not a little wiser using Linux then this
> feature may also _not_ the quite the _last_ thing they might want. The thing
> about such a capability is that if it is not discarded immediately then it
> should really be the first thing, ie, the default, otherwise it makes no
> sense anyway.
>
> Perhaps LAU is not the best place for this kind of discussion. Most of the
> people on this list are actually quite savvy and well aware of what they are
> being confronted with from a Linux installation. A friend of mine wanted to
> get his first Linux installation going to get audio software for his kids to
> play with. Now I was not too concerned about how his kids would get on with
> configuring all the different options, they pick stuff fast, however his
> pride might have been dented by not being able to get some basic going for
> them to get started. Will have a chat with him and find out his opinion as a
> slightly in awe new user and perhaps the first question I should ask him is
> who programes his television, I would put my money on it being his kids. My
> own daughter is two years old an loves banging banging sounds out of
> softsynths, quite happy to stick the USB MIDI cables where they neeed to go
> but I still have to connect all the apps together for her which is a bit of
> a shame. It's not that I mind doing it with her but I am sure that she would
> feel more assertive if she did it all herself.
>
> Nick
>
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The only time an app should autoconnect is when it's part of a saved
instance.

imho.

Alex.

-- 
Parchment Studios (It started as a joke...)
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