Sankarshan Mukhopadhyay wrote:
> Havoc Pennington wrote:
>
>> My first-order answer is that GNOME thinks of itself as "making a
>> desktop" - even though the _reality_ is that the larger GNOME
>> community/ecosystem is doing way more than that, and that the larger
>> tech industry is doing still more.
>
> Would you consider junking the concept of "GNOME as a desktop" in favor
> of "GNOME as an application development programming context" or would
> think that the slicing should go deeper ? Namely, percolating the idea
> right down to the level where applications are developed around GNOME
> core (assuming the segregation of GNOME core and GNOME extras). From the
> earlier mail that you posted it would appear that you favor a shift of
> GNOME from a software development paradigm to a more personal/social (if
> I may) context. Wherein the *who* assumes greater importance while
> releasing GNOME rather than *what*.
>
> As it stands I don't see an aggressive movement towards (re)doing the
> GNOME messaging - its happening but its taking its time probably because
> of the distribution centric messaging that goes for GNOME. Perhaps the
> time is really there to start talking more about the context in which
> GNOME figures in every day computing rather then the concept where GNOME
> provides applications (cool as they may be) but in no ways do emphasize
> the stuff GNOME is supposed to do.
I tend to think explicit platform-building sucks (vs. accidentally
making a platform in the course of making something useful).
What I'm advocating is something like this goal set:
GNOME big picture: Bring a 100% open source computing environment to the
general public.
Subprojects we have already -
GNOME Thin Desktop:
Create a manageable, secure, simple, gratis desktop for computer
labs worldwide.
GNOME Technical Desktop:
Create a fun, hackable, rapidly-changing work environment for
programmers, administrators, and tech enthusiasts.
GNOME Server Console:
Create a command center for enterprise server operating system
administrators.
Stuff we have already, but not labeled GNOME, much of it never will be,
but by way of example:
GNOME "One Laptop Per Child":
Create a simple social environment for experiential learning.
(or whatever, would not presume to know how to state this one)
GNOME Maemo:
I don't know their "concept" or target audience, but I can
imagine something like -
Create a "newspaper replacement" device for coffee shops,
the kitchen table, riding the train to work.
GNOME [anything - look at the full breadth of the tech industry!]
In other words, associate the names/brands/teams with
specific-benefit-to-specific-audience statements.
Many of these things would share code, or even almost all code. That's
what I'm saying about not splitting by codebase.
There's a natural "platform" which is just "stuff many of these
subprojects happens to use"
There's are also other "platform" meanings, like "stuff the desktop-ish
subprojects recommend to desktop-ish ISVs"
Havoc
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