{"action":"created","issue":{"url":"https://api.github.com/repos/sympy/sympy-paper/issues/84","repository_url":"https://api.github.com/repos/sympy/sympy-paper","labels_url":"https://api.github.com/repos/sympy/sympy-paper/issues/84/labels{/name}","comments_url":"https://api.github.com/repos/sympy/sympy-paper/issues/84/comments","events_url":"https://api.github.com/repos/sympy/sympy-paper/issues/84/events","html_url":"https://github.com/sympy/sympy-paper/pull/84","id":150144117,"number":84,"title":"Added a draft abstract to help frame the paper's theme.","user":{"login":"moorepants","id":276007,"avatar_url":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/276007?v=3","gravatar_id":"","url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants","html_url":"https://github.com/moorepants","followers_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/followers","following_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/following{/other_user}","gists_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/gists{/gist_id}","starred_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/starred{/owner}{/repo}","subscriptions_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/subscriptions","organizations_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/orgs","repos_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/repos","events_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/events{/privacy}","received_events_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/received_events","type":"User","site_admin":false},"labels":[],"state":"open","locked":false,"assignee":null,"milestone":null,"comments":2,"created_at":"2016-04-21T17:46:36Z","updated_at":"2016-04-21T19:19:37Z","closed_at":null,"pull_request":{"url":"https://api.github.com/repos/sympy/sympy-paper/pulls/84","html_url":"https://github.com/sympy/sympy-paper/pull/84","diff_url":"https://github.com/sympy/sympy-paper/pull/84.diff","patch_url":"https://github.com/sympy/sympy-paper/pull/84.patch"},"body":"This PR is intended to address issue #55 where I asked for us to define a theme for the paper. I think that we need to define the core elements of the story we want to tell so that the many authors can write and rewrite their sections to fit this vision. I took what was said in #55 and tried to put into a concise abstract that we can all look to. I'd like to hear feedback on this.\r\n\r\nMuch of the writing that has been done has focused on what I'm suggesting to put into the supplementary materials. I believe (and it seems so from others in #55) that SymPy's main contributions are not the algorithms (which aren't really new) but our community, our accessibility, and our broad user base that uses SymPy for a variety of novel use cases."},"comment":{"url":"https://api.github.com/repos/sympy/sympy-paper/issues/comments/213077741","html_url":"https://github.com/sympy/sympy-paper/pull/84#issuecomment-213077741","issue_url":"https://api.github.com/repos/sympy/sympy-paper/issues/84","id":213077741,"user":{"login":"moorepants","id":276007,"avatar_url":"https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/276007?v=3","gravatar_id":"","url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants","html_url":"https://github.com/moorepants","followers_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/followers","following_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/following{/other_user}","gists_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/gists{/gist_id}","starred_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/starred{/owner}{/repo}","subscriptions_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/subscriptions","organizations_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/orgs","repos_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/repos","events_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/events{/privacy}","received_events_url":"https://api.github.com/users/moorepants/received_events","type":"User","site_admin":false},"created_at":"2016-04-21T19:19:37Z","updated_at":"2016-04-21T19:19:37Z","body":"> I think the key focus of the paper should be the architecture and design of SymPy, and effectively, what makes it unique.\r\n\r\nI don't agree with this statement entirely. I don't see how implementing existing algorithms in a new programming language makes SymPy unique, novel, special, or useful.\r\n\r\nThe focus of the abstract leaned on @scopatz's statement from issue #55:\r\n\r\n> I think that we need to draw out the novel contributions of SymPy. CASs have been done, F/OSS has been done, Python has been used in big projects, Open development has been done. However, SymPy is a novel combination of this. I think the really new thing is that it allows the CAS to respond to the needs of the users without the knowledge or consent of the original developers. I am not sure that there is another major CAS that you can get features into (big or small) without a charge code. This is important. Framing the paper as a series of user-driven contributions in this specialized subject seems like it would be of value.\r\n\r\nI seriously doubt that we have such a large user base because of the architecture and design. I doubt people use SymPy because we have immutable instead of mutable objects or that we have a preferable assumptions system.\r\n\r\nSymPy's architecture may be a component to it's uniqueness but I'm not sure it is the one that makes it novel and widely used.\r\n\r\nAnd just to be clear, I'm writing the abstract now and trying to force conversation so that we can all come to agreement on what the paper should be about. As it stands we have N authors all writing a bunch of stuff that has no coherent flow and is only focused on explaining the details of each module. It isn't a lot different that our current documentation.\r\n\r\nI'm happy to change this abstract into something totally different, but I think it is important to agree on the theme of the paper before the writing and editing commence (so we are already behind...)."}}