Aaron,

I absolutely love SVN. I only recently started using it and we are already inseparable.

I'm a student web developer for IT and as the only programmer I am probably the only one that would value it without training so I don't see our department making use of it but it would be awesome to see a U hosted SVN server.

I don't know if department size is the right justification for it as I find it relatively easy to set up once you have an understanding of how it works. It could prove useful especially as staff come and go. All projects I work on are version controlled locally on my computer so when I leave, though I'll probably decide to export them, they will go with me.

It's definitely something the U should look into if there's enough interest from developers. Which I hope there is.

--
Ken Thompson
Student Web Developer
Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota
[log in to unmask]



On May 3, 2010, at 10:26 AM, Aaron J. Zirbes wrote:

> U of MN Developers,
> 
> Is there anyone (besides me) out there on the list that feels that a
> common-good SVN service would be a good idea?  Bad idea?  Not sure?
> 
> As a web, application and systems developer I feel that I couldn't do my
> job with out a proper revision control system (RCS).  It gives me a
> giant UNDO button for all of my projects to any commit point in time. 
> It forces me to comment all my changes.  It gives me the confidence I
> need to make sweeping changes to a system without the worry of "how do I
> undo this?"
> 
> Using SVN has become almost trivial as most development platforms (Adobe
> Dreamweaver included) support SVN out of the box.
> 
> We run our own subversion (SVN) server at EnHS for our department's
> needs, but I'd be willing to guess that most departments do not.
> 
> I know not all departments are large enough to support their own SVN
> server, but I feel that any one who isn't using some sort of RCS in
> their web development is suffering because of it.  It is putting
> developers and their work at too much risk.  I think that all developers
> at the U should have access to SVN, but for that to happen, U of MN
> central would have to set it up as a common-good service.
> 
> --
> Aaron