On 7/17/06, Havoc Pennington <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Jeff Waugh wrote: > > <quote who="Havoc Pennington"> > > > >> Or even why is GNOME sidelining things like: > >> - Maemo > >> - Elisa > >> - One Laptop Per Child > >> - ... > > > > You make it sound active - it's not, it's passive. But that's changing. > > I don't mean to imply active or not, and I'm glad to hear it's changing. > > I think having some of those non-desktop projects on equal footing > within GNOME alongside the desktop release would make a big difference. > _Especially_ if each subproject is defined by its target audience and > benefit, rather than by its codebase. > > I thought of a more concrete approach to understanding what this means. > > Question for the list, what is the target audience and benefit to them > of the desktop release?
The target audience is ME!! :) Seriously look at Windows and ask the same question. What is the target audience and benefit to them of Windows? The answer is it makes the computer work and present a graphical interface that allows more advanced applications to be built ontop of it. A simple computing environment usable for anyone. That is the goal Microsoft is striving for, GNOME should have a just as ambitious goal. There are lots of functionality that is generally useful to everyone. Or atleast a large minority of all users. Like a file manager, window manager, display manager, configuration center, text editor, package manager, games, web browser, music and video player, system monitor, terminal emulator, word processor, spreadsheet calculator, email manager, calendar, cd burner, irc client, im client, mobile phone synchronization, plus lots more. And that IS GNOME, isn't it? The challenge is to integrate it into one coherent mass so that it becomes maximally useful for the largest number of people possible. > Current: > - historical UNIX workstation users who want something similar but not > dead > - technology fans who want a set of apps they can mess with and > heavily customize > - thin client / computer lab deployments who want something with good > manageability / security and low cost (the low cost especially for > government/edu) > - server administrators who want to pack a lot of ssh sessions onto > the screen, use some web-based admin consoles, and occasionally waste > some time doing non-work stuff > - ... > > Future: > - ... ? (try to be as specific as the above) Look at Windows. All this talk about the "target audience" scares the hell out of me. Because if is decided that the target audience is the white collar office worker (or some other stereotype I don't belong to) it means that GNOME wont benefit me anymore. -- mvh Björn _______________________________________________ desktop-devel-list mailing list [email protected] http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/desktop-devel-list
