Do we need other programs?

[Giampy]

There are already many word processors, archivers, text editors etc... Most of those programs are all equal.
I wonder what pushes some people to create still new similar programs.

[TaoPhoenix]

For me, the answer is "custom features". Up until I ran out of funding, I was making a text processor that had extra built in data manipulation features not normally found in standard programs.

[J-Mac]

I often wonder the same thing; developers keep reinventing the wheel over and over. And usually the added features aren't enough (IMO) to justify an entire new program. How many more text editors do I need? Why are there so many anti-viruses? Text expanders?

Seems like overkill to me; but of course that's just me.   

Jim

[TaoPhoenix]

I often wonder the same thing; developers keep reinventing the wheel over and over. And usually the added features aren't enough (IMO) to justify an entire new program. How many more text editors do I need? Why are there so many anti-viruses? Text expanders?

Seems like overkill to me; but of course that's just me.  

Jim

-J-Mac (June 22, 2012, 07:02 PM)

A feature is a feature. My text app would have split any text file into sections by delimiter character. Then I'd import all those fragments into one of those multiplexed web sites Paul K and I were talking about. But Paul K of course was right about the sparse look. I had a project going to develop a universal converter to make one of those barebones sites into a full blog. That feature too would have been in the app. So yes, sometimes features need to be made.

[ewemoa]

For a given application (type) there might be a feature or set of features missing, I could see being motivated to want an existing application to get enhanced in a particular manner or better still be enhanced to provide a mechanism for extension (e.g. via an appropriate plug-in system) so other folks can provide enhancement for themselves or others -- but if that doesn't seem likely to happen, perhaps that can be motivating for some folks to want to create their own from scratch (or modify some existing app).  But then sometimes, people just want to learn how something might be built and as they continue...

One concrete example for a desired feature (my own ) is the idea of being able to more easily navigate and hierarchically "bookmark" video data.  It doesn't sound too difficult conceptually but I haven't yet come across an app that provides this satisfactorily.  Though I don't have the skill to create a video-playing app from scratch, I could just barely imagine (at least investigating) trying to modify an existing video player's source to provide an appropriate extension mechanism so that the result might be leveraged toward the original goal.

[Renegade]

Was just thinking... about my little Unity rant and whatnot...

Often it's not about WHAT the feature is, but HOW it's done. Makes a big difference.

[40hz]

Many of the most popular programs out there were originally written by somebody for their own personal use and only later turned into a public release at the suggestion of friends.

As long as somebody has an itch to scratch there will always be new programs written.

So do we need all these new programs? Well...as far as at least one person is concerned, I think the answer would have to be: yes.

And if that one person is a coder, a majority of one easily wins the vote.

[wraith808]

There's the issue of choice also.  If a developer sees that what he's doing is something that he wants to do in an original way- whether that be additional features, implementation of functionality, and/or user interface- that might drive a developer to want to do it.  And I'm glad.  I'd hate to be stuck with VI and notepad.

Many of the most popular programs out there were originally written by somebody for their own personal use and only later turned into a public release at the suggestion of friends.

As long as somebody has an itch to scratch there will always be new programs written.

So do we need all these new programs? Well...as far as at least one person is concerned, I think the answer would have to be: yes.

And if that one person is a coder, a majority of one easily wins the vote.

-40hz (July 07, 2012, 01:58 PM)

+1 - Well said! 

[MilesAhead]

I recently watched a film titled InAlienable. It was written by the guy who played Chekov on Start Trek TOS. Seemed to me like a "make work" project so some Trek actors and other Sci Fi old timers(like Richard Hatch from Battlestar Galactica) could get a few pay checks.

It's funny that this issue pops up in regards to software. Not so much about hardware.  Think of your basic passenger automobile. It's a box with some upholsterred seats and wheels. In fact in the old days American car manufacturers were known for having several product lines that consisted of the same car with a different bit of chrome stuck on.  Plymouth Valiant was a Dodge Dart etc..

Different programs that have the same basic function may have differing styles or extra features.  But one part of it may be, "hmm, I can flip burgers, or, I can be CEO of Type it yourself inc. software co."

edit: Another consideration is fewer features.  Sometimes you want something specialized with a small footprint.