[SML] Ion rant (was: LD for Crazy...)

[*Hobbit*]

As little got mentioned about this here, y'all's kind advice did lead
me to greatly expanded perspective; thank you!  I did go and find several
of those newer videos, including the two-hour "fireside chat" from
CUE 2017 with the six programmers all describing the different ways
they set up an Eos/Ion desk -- because, as noted here, they *can*.
The principles are all the same, it's just that the dialect is
more like colloquial Klingon.

Thinking about it in a sort of unix-centric / system-management way, the
Eos/Ion family is sort of like a huge scripting language, geared toward
controlling a network.  Lots of generic programming and setup can be
done with specifics left as referenced by variables, and the variables
can be filled in later once we sit down at a particular rig and divide it
into sensible subsystems.  This is how the pro folks go at it -- they go
around to gigs with a fistful of their preferred workflow already built
into complex show files as a tool-set, and just pop that onto any new desk
they sit down at and go from there.  If they had to start every show from
"File -> New", they'd feel completely naked and never get through it.

And the language and its words and meanings keeps evolving, as they continue
developing through the 2.x versions of the software.  So the ETC community
is now having many of the same conversations that I was watching people
have about the Hog and its competitors ten years ago on Lightnetwork.

At least one person from etcconnect.com visited the link, so maybe it'll
help provide more input into the development process or at least refine
some points to emphasize in manuals and training materials.

_H*