A Scabbard for Biblical Software

I don't know what you mean by the "theolo...

2011-12-23T09:25:44.047Z

I don't know what you mean by the "theological bias of maps". Could you please elaborate?

The Accordance iOS version has been out for a year...

2011-12-21T16:38:50.244Z

The Accordance iOS version has been out for a year.

I was wrong. The STEP component has not be remove...

2011-11-11T20:43:40.152Z

I was wrong.

The STEP component has not be removed.

The STEP icon has been removed, but STEP is still accessible through ">Tools >STEP".

Thanks for pointing out that the STEP reader is go...

2011-11-05T16:56:57.023Z

Thanks for pointing out that the STEP reader is gone. I hadn't noticed. I have 711 items that I now need to find a way to access. I may have some duplicates in the topic files. Sigh...

Sometime over the summer 2011, Bible.org stopped s...

2011-11-02T13:45:38.620Z

Sometime over the summer 2011, Bible.org stopped selling _The REB Bible_. Bible.ORG was an agent, and not the resource creator.
I do not know if the resource creator is still selling it.

I also have been thinking about Ubuntu CE and I re...

2011-10-11T20:37:36.805Z

I also have been thinking about Ubuntu CE and I received permission from Jereme to release a newer version. I would like to turn UCE into a foundation or ministry with a board of directors. Email me at bromichaelhenry at gmail dot com, please, and lets see what we can do.

Doesn't have quite the same ring as "A Sc...

2011-09-22T11:15:00.695Z

Doesn't have quite the same ring as "A Scabbard for e-Sword". But it does seem a sensible decision. I enjoy reading thoughtful pieces from you about Bible software generally.

The feature was present in e-Sword 9.9.0. It was n...

2011-06-08T13:47:18.413Z

The feature was present in e-Sword 9.9.0. It was not present in e-Sword 8.x or 9.0.0 through 9.8.3.

I have compared carefully your screenshot with my ...

2011-06-08T11:57:49.591Z

I have compared carefully your screenshot with my e-Sword 9.9.0, but I have been unable to find the feature you mention. What is it?

One man can often maintain a web site on the right...

2011-05-01T22:11:51.439Z

One man can often maintain a web site on the right track whereas a group of people can steer it in circles, and take things in a ridiculous direction. I'd recommend continuing as a one man operation, but get a group of advisors that can help advise, and help with some maintaining, and then can take over when the time comes when you no longer can manage it.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne@WayneSallee.com

Thanks for all your hard work and service. Blessin...

2011-04-20T16:03:34.112Z

Thanks for all your hard work and service. Blessing and Shalom.

Thanks! Appreciate all your hard work

2011-04-20T16:02:39.023Z

Thanks! Appreciate all your hard work

I'm aware of the Cathedral and the Bazaar (and...

2010-09-21T13:54:06.466Z

I'm aware of the Cathedral and the Bazaar (and I'm also aware the Cathedral developed Windows has many more users than the Bazaar developed Linux, and doesn't look to be going away soon). In some ways I find development on TSP like a cathedral, not a bazaar, as there are a number of tasks that are only done by a few official CrossWire members, and I and others have observed in years of following the lists that it seems to have a fairly high barrier of entry to new developers, though whether intentionally or not I cannot tell.

I definitely think TSP has a future, because there are still a few significant niches that it is apparently serving better than any other software around, and because it can be changed by anyone. I'm just not sure FLOSS Bible software attracts as much lasting developer interest as other FLOSS software (not sure why), and most of the frontends are teams of one or a few active developers rather than the many eyes prescribed by Cathedral and Bazaar.

I suppose my optimism about its future to some extent fluctuates depending on the amount of time I myself have been able to spend on it, and that has not been much time for quite a while.

A lot of my thinking about the long term viability...

2010-09-20T18:55:46.782Z

A lot of my thinking about the long term viability of _The Sword Project_ is from _The Cathedral and the Bazaar_.

It is much easier for a programmer to add "missing functionality" to one of the thirty something different front ends that TSP has, than waiting for Rick (e-Sword) or Costas (The Word) or Craig (Laridian) or Steve (Olive Tree) to implement it. Or to wait for the program to be ported to a new platform.

While Sword application developers can theoretical...

2010-09-20T14:01:17.696Z

While Sword application developers can theoretically add any functionality, in practice I haven't seen any evidence that any such software (including BPBible) is likely to add some major important functionality. A more frequent factor is apologies for not getting much done and not being where they would want to be (and again, I am included in this list). Things that are partially or largely data-related, not just code related, seem even less likely to be done (example: Logos Controlled Vocabulary).

To my mind resources have always been the biggest issue with SWORD. As you mention, being FLOSS means it will be unlikely to get much easier.

Synchronisation (which you mentioned) is going to be another big factor. It is not always easy to transfer things between different SWORD desktop applications (or even the same application on a different platform). Things like synchronising to iPhone are unlikely to happen any time soon (though I'm sure they have been asked for). Talks attempting to establish standards have always broken down with disagreements as to what should be included and what not [note that here I'm talking about user notes. SWORD modules are usually able to be used in any application - with the exception of alternate versification and RTF modules].

I think, like e-Sword and the Word, SWORD software will always retain some interest from people who like things to be free. I think a fair percentage of people not using English as a primary language tend to gravitate to it as well for some reason. However, I haven't seen a lot which would suggest that it will become more important than it is now, and the choice of applications that is always touted as an advantage could become a heavy weight around its neck.

Jonathan, please email me concerning your PC.
...

2009-02-04T23:07:00.000Z

Jonathan, please email me concerning your PC.

j w a t t s @ suddenlink . net

TSK has 450,000 references, from memory, and is av...

2008-12-27T05:52:00.000Z

TSK has 450,000 references, from memory, and is available for e-Sword.

This is great info to know.

2008-11-11T00:28:00.000Z

This is great info to know.

Yeah the vendor lock-in is a hard pill to swallow....

2008-09-29T12:00:00.000Z

Yeah the vendor lock-in is a hard pill to swallow. As a user, it's a difficult realization that you're purchasing a book in an electronic format but you're limited to whatever software you originally purchased it for. If you decide to switch applications for whatever reason, you have no choice but to repurchase those books all over again. Unfortunately the books are where Bible software companies make their money, so I don't see this changing anytime soon.

That's why it's very important for potential users to pick their software very wisely. They don't need to just think about what they need/want right now, but also need to anticipate what they're going to need in the future so that they can make the best purchase, and not get burned later by having to switch programs or being stuck with a program that doesn't fit their needs.

Search and you will find http://www.esnips.com/web...

2008-01-21T23:20:00.000Z

Search and you will find http://www.esnips.com/web/E-SwordJewishtops

Be well
Paul

Ok, here is a comment instead of an email.

...

2007-11-12T11:44:00.000Z

Ok, here is a comment instead of an email.

I'm looking for Hawker's PM-CMT. I see in your other blog that you were working/going to work on it. You seemed to say you had the dictionary going in June. That so? And the CMT for January 2008?

It's a pretty cool CMT. I have the whole thing in PDF form, but it is the scans of the pages, not the text, you know? Very hard to deal with.

I was wondering if you are getting anywhere with it.

Spurgeon refers very enthusiastically to it in his Commenting and Commentaries.

It would be very cool to add it to e-Sword.

By the way, I just converted a nice devotion called the Hungry Heart Devotion. Ben got it imported into e-Sword with his new Alpha233rd thing. Something you don't have. I'll trade you for it. :)

Thanks,

jeff

A Scabbard for Biblical Software

I don't know what you mean by the "theolo...

The Accordance iOS version has been out for a year...

I was wrong. The STEP component has not be remove...

Thanks for pointing out that the STEP reader is go...

Sometime over the summer 2011, Bible.org stopped s...

I also have been thinking about Ubuntu CE and I re...

Doesn't have quite the same ring as "A Sc...

The feature was present in e-Sword 9.9.0. It was n...

I have compared carefully your screenshot with my ...

One man can often maintain a web site on the right...

Thanks for all your hard work and service. Blessin...

Thanks! Appreciate all your hard work

I'm aware of the Cathedral and the Bazaar (and...

A lot of my thinking about the long term viability...

While Sword application developers can theoretical...

Jonathan, please email me concerning your PC. ...

TSK has 450,000 references, from memory, and is av...

This is great info to know.

Yeah the vendor lock-in is a hard pill to swallow....

Search and you will find http://www.esnips.com/web...

Ok, here is a comment instead of an email....

Jonathan, please email me concerning your PC.
...

Ok, here is a comment instead of an email.

...