Thanks! (Was: Re: [R] R-2.1.0 is released)

[Spencer Graves]

      Permit me to echo Bjørn-Helge Mevik's thanks. 

      I've been telling people that R is rapidly becoming the platform 
of choice for new statistical algorithm development for many reasons. 

      * First, it gives someone almost instant access to many of the 
leading international experts in statistical computing.  This includes 
free access to some of the best code available for almost any 
statistical application. 

      * Second, it provides new algorithm developers with an easy way to 
solicit feedback on their code from many others, including not only the 
recognized experts in statistical computing but many others who know a 
lot but may not be as well known. 

      * Third, distributing an R package is a type of publication.  It 
may not count in the peer review process, but it might reach more people 
and build one's reputation faster than a standard publication.  Also, I 
wonder how this impacts how easy it might be to get something published 
in a more traditional way? 

      At a conference recently, someone claimed that universities are 
dumping SAS, SPSS, Minitab, etc., for R because R is free and the 
alternatives are not.  I don't know the extent to which this is true, 
but I can see another reason for doing this:  It's incredibly easy for 
instructors to share their latest code with their students. 

      Does anyone have any thoughts on this? 

      Comments?
      Best Wishes,
      Spencer Graves    

Bjørn-Helge Mevik wrote:

>I'd like to thank the developers in the Core Team for their great
>work!  R has become an invaluable and indispensible tool for (at least)
>me, much thanks to the hard and good work of the Core Team.
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