@eamon @clayote Not containers if I have a say in the matter!
I encourage folks to distinguish analysis scripts (preprocess a particular dataset, make a graph) and software (general purpose, users). Software can be fine in a container: it's used as-is, not altered each time. Scripts are specialized, so should be transparent and stable (base R, minimal dependencies). Ideally the key parts of scripts (eg, a model specification) can be found & understood by others, even without ruining the script.
@JosetAEtzel @eamon @clayote If only there were ISO- or ANSI-standard compiled languages in wide usage for scientific computing... :/
Configuration management and managing the software lifecycle is not easy or particularly fun, especially for subject-matter-experts who write code only as a means to an end. Worse still when nobody in an organization has any experience with formal V&V or code qualification. I don't have a solution that academics and researchers and engineers will pay attention to because it requires rigor in an area they just don't care that much about.
@arclight @JosetAEtzel @eamon @clayote Could you explain why you think language is a problem? I think it's the need to rely on large amounts of ever changing packages, which I don't think is something we can realistically change. It's all fun and nice to keep dependencies to a minimum until you can't anymore because otherwise your project won't be finished.
