But to answer, it depends on how you define lots, but I’d say yes. Quite a few Tempest users/sites started with the old Air+Sky and have kept their old sensors active. Others choose to map things differently than the usual defaults. People ‘do’ tune their setups to do what they want it to do.
That said, I would agree that it would be helpful as the ‘default’ if you could figure out a good map automagically, as long as the driver is still installable via wee_extension. That would remove a lot of the new user errors/omissions we’ve seen historically from the weewx/linux newbies.
I wouldn’t understand this as criticizing you or your development. I would understand it as a valuable input. Something what you as a developer hadn’t seen beforehand.
I am a software engineer, for many years now. And such things happen again and again. Sometimes it is almost unbelievable, how users work with your software, and even what kind of problems they solve with it. The reality of the user is often very different from the developers point of view.
One time I had to revert changes I made, because this change broke a functionality that was often used, although never specified or designed. The change that broke the functionality, was made because the customer ordered a new feature.
Your intention for making the config shorter and easier, is good and helpful, but your assumption, that a explicit mapping is unnecessary, except for very rare cases, proved to be a bit different in reality. There is nothing wrong with that, but knowing about it will help you to get even better.
I did realise it, but since for wind I was using rapid_wind instead of obs_st and the sensors generated where using obs_st I decided to include the sensors in the config.
I also like to have full control in case I change my mind in the future, and having sensors there in the config, even if at defaults value, is the approach I prefer, do that also for other software, I don’t like in config files defaults not present in the config file. I hope you don’t mind too much. ;). Obviously, it’s a personal thing based on my specific experience. I don’t understand why people want to take out all configurable items out of the config file, even if the default values are ok, but I respect personal choices, everybody can decide for himself, at least on this we have some freedom.
When you say “valid reason” you are expressing a personal judgement, not taking into consideration other users’ personal preference. It’s a little bit patronizing. It’s good that you left the choice to the users, that’s how things should be done, but if you do, don’t tell them HOW to do things after in that way. We’re all different, and everybody makes choices based on personal experience and nobody else can say what is the BEST way if they don’t know the specifics.
So thank you so much for leaving us the choice, and let us choose what WE prefer without judging too much. Probably you only wanted to suggest your “better way”, but didn’t look so much like a suggestion…that’s all.
Great post. That is exactly the point: developers (and not only them) should always be reminded that “the map is not the territory”. Users have their own way of doing and using things, not necessarily the best way, but it’s a preference. You learn that with experience. If you don’t want users to have freedom you don’t give them options, if you want to give them options, leave them using those as they prefer. It’s as simple as that.
