[FFmpeg-devel] [PATCH v2] avformat: add Software Defined Radio support

[Nicolas George]

Tomas Härdin (12023-06-29):
> This is very revealing.

Indeed.

>			  The reason why XML parsing shouldn't be
> implemented in FFmpeg isn't just because it is difficult but because:
> 
> * it is out of scope

It is necessary.

> * it is technical debt
> * shitty parsing is the cause of the vast majority of CVEs
> 
> It speaks of an inability to make sane architectural decisions, of not
> seperating concerns and of preferring cowboy coding over sane decisions
> with respect to the entire free software ecosystem.

Thank you for illustrating my words with your inability to consider that
(1) we do not need a complete parser (2) the things that make parsing
XML hard are precisely the things we do not need and (3) if you consider
writing such a XML parser is way too hard, it speaks more of your skills
in that area than anything else.

> Are you implying that API and ABI stability are not important?

Precisely. Nothing is “important” in absolute?. Things are only
important with regard to a goal.

My goal is to have fun, and for that goal, API and ABI stability are not
important. To have fun, I still need the project to exist, so I will
spend time on these issues, that is all.

API and ABI stability are important if you want to be of service. I do
not want to be of service. Maybe you want FFmpeg to be of service, you
seem to.

Well, let me tell you this: if you want to force me to not have fun and
spend effort on things you think are important instead, go fork
yourself.

-- 
  Nicolas George