Fossil SCM

Minor edits to Rebase Considered Harmful, for clarity.

drh 2019-09-04 19:23 trunk
Commit a2ea815183932d79f33f8214dd4d13442169ab7710f0aee5c67628023deff9fa
1 file changed +12 -11
+12 -11
--- www/rebaseharm.md
+++ www/rebaseharm.md
@@ -204,23 +204,24 @@
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editing. This is the camp that uses tools like rebase and filter-branch
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to tell the story in the way that’s best for future readers."_
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I reject this argument utterly.
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Unless you project is a work of fiction, it is not a "story" but a "history".
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-Honorable writers (of non-fiction) adjust their narrative to fit
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-history. Rebase, in contrast, adjusts history to fit the narrative.
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-I call that being dishonest.
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+Honorable writers adjust their narrative to fit
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+history. Rebase adjusts history to fit the narrative.
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-This is not to say that historical texts cannot be redrafted for clarity
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-and accuracy. Fossil supports this by providing mechanisms to fix
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-typos in check-in comments, and make other editorial changes, by adding
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+Truthful texts can be redrafted for clarity and accuracy.
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+Fossil supports this by providing mechanisms to fix
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+typos in check-in comments, attach supplemental notes,
215
+and make other editorial changes.
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+The corrections are accomplished by adding
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new modification records to the blockchain. The original incorrect
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-inputs are preserved as part of the blockchain and are easily
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-accessible, but for routine display purposes, a more readable
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-presentation is provided. Thus, the repository need not be your first
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-and only draft, but can also be true and historically correct at the
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-same time.
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+inputs are preserved in the blockchain and are easily accessible.
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+But for routine display purposes, the more readable edited
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+presentation is provided. A repository can be a true and accurate
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+representation of history even without getting everything perfect
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+on the first draft.
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Unfortunately, Git does not provide the ability to add corrections
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or clarifications to historical check-ins in its blockchain. Hence,
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once again, rebase can be seen as an attempt to work around limitations
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of Git. Wouldn't it be better to fix the tool rather that to lie about
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--- www/rebaseharm.md
+++ www/rebaseharm.md
@@ -204,23 +204,24 @@
204 editing. This is the camp that uses tools like rebase and filter-branch
205 to tell the story in the way that’s best for future readers."_
206
207 I reject this argument utterly.
208 Unless you project is a work of fiction, it is not a "story" but a "history".
209 Honorable writers (of non-fiction) adjust their narrative to fit
210 history. Rebase, in contrast, adjusts history to fit the narrative.
211 I call that being dishonest.
212
213 This is not to say that historical texts cannot be redrafted for clarity
214 and accuracy. Fossil supports this by providing mechanisms to fix
215 typos in check-in comments, and make other editorial changes, by adding
 
 
216 new modification records to the blockchain. The original incorrect
217 inputs are preserved as part of the blockchain and are easily
218 accessible, but for routine display purposes, a more readable
219 presentation is provided. Thus, the repository need not be your first
220 and only draft, but can also be true and historically correct at the
221 same time.
222
223 Unfortunately, Git does not provide the ability to add corrections
224 or clarifications to historical check-ins in its blockchain. Hence,
225 once again, rebase can be seen as an attempt to work around limitations
226 of Git. Wouldn't it be better to fix the tool rather that to lie about
227
--- www/rebaseharm.md
+++ www/rebaseharm.md
@@ -204,23 +204,24 @@
204 editing. This is the camp that uses tools like rebase and filter-branch
205 to tell the story in the way that’s best for future readers."_
206
207 I reject this argument utterly.
208 Unless you project is a work of fiction, it is not a "story" but a "history".
209 Honorable writers adjust their narrative to fit
210 history. Rebase adjusts history to fit the narrative.
 
211
212 Truthful texts can be redrafted for clarity and accuracy.
213 Fossil supports this by providing mechanisms to fix
214 typos in check-in comments, attach supplemental notes,
215 and make other editorial changes.
216 The corrections are accomplished by adding
217 new modification records to the blockchain. The original incorrect
218 inputs are preserved in the blockchain and are easily accessible.
219 But for routine display purposes, the more readable edited
220 presentation is provided. A repository can be a true and accurate
221 representation of history even without getting everything perfect
222 on the first draft.
223
224 Unfortunately, Git does not provide the ability to add corrections
225 or clarifications to historical check-ins in its blockchain. Hence,
226 once again, rebase can be seen as an attempt to work around limitations
227 of Git. Wouldn't it be better to fix the tool rather that to lie about
228

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