[Rd] [R-gui] R GUI considerations (was: R, Wine, and multi-threadedness)

[Marc Schwartz]

Greetings all,

While recognizing that "this is easier said, than done", is there any
logic in suggesting that for those who might be interested, a specific R
GUI session of sorts be added to the UseR! 2006 meeting schedule?

Since some quorum of interested GUI users may be planning to attend the
meeting or may be motivated to do so, it may be an opportunity to:

1. Leverage face to face interaction and visualize possible options

2. Define areas of commonality

3. Bring some level of focus to targeted segments of the user base that
would utilize a GUI and for whom there may be differing functional
requirements.

4. Identify cross-platform opportunities and technologies

5. See further notes below...


Some of the preliminary work could no doubt be done in advance to better
prepare and structure discussion.

This could be done as a "breakout" session or if there is sufficient
interest (and facility/funding issues can be resolved) perhaps a group
session held the day before or perhaps the day after the main conference
program.

If there is a core group that is interested in pursuing this, an
announcement could be made to the respective R e-mail lists (r-help,
r-devel, r-sig-gui, etc.) whereby, with the sufficient lead time as we
have, the requisite activities could be put in place to orchestrate the
session, define specific desired outcomes and identify individuals
willing to spend their time to coordinate and make this venture
successful (however success would be defined).

There is no business or financial motivation here for a GUI. If there
was and a for profit company decided that there would be a significant
return on investment, they would spend the money, hire the resources,
define a team leader and put forth a single development spec for a GUI
project based upon their own market research. It would be done in a
relatively authoritarian fashion and if you didn't agree, you would be
asked to find a job elsewhere.

Here, you would need to solicit voluntary resources, reconcile the
expected differences of opinion on the spectrum of matters that would
have to be addressed and define some common framework for operating,
perhaps based upon targeted user segments.

This subject, as mentioned, has come up on the lists previously, with no
common resolution, resulting of course in the individual activities that
have emerged.

Is there a group of motivated useRs out there, who have the time,
energy, and skills and are willing to work within the framework of a
design and development "team" environment, where a quid pro quo for
moving forward could evolve from the User! 2006 meeting? 

Is there an individual, who would need to emerge from that group, who
has the respect and requisite skills to drive a consensus of opinion and
keep a team focused and moving in the proper direction?

If so, that might be a step in the direction of evolving a GUI that
might make sense for some yet to be defined range of useRs, who would
not otherwise utilize the CLI or might need to evolve in that direction
over time.

If not, then the status quo continues...

There are some 300 Linux distributions out there and multiple X based
GUIs, which have evolved for reasons as varied as those behind the
available R GUIs and more. Yet there are a select few base Linux
distributions and largely two GUIs that have garnered any significant
market share. Perhaps, over time, lacking any coordinated activity, a
similar situation will evolve here, if the predicate that a broad demand
for a R GUI is valid.

If the predicate is false, then this process is perhaps rightly done by
individuals meeting narrowly focused, local requirements.

I should note, that I am not prospective GUI user, but a happy ESS user.
I simply thought that I would try to provoke some discussion on this
point, since I jumped into this thread earlier in the week.

Best regards,

Marc Schwartz