It seems to me there's a continuing need to 1) raise awareness about GNOME, 2) raise money for GNOME, and 3) provide services around open tools so users don't need to host their own servers, etc., to benefit from services like Snowy, iFolder, etc.
Let's not be in a rush to invite users to use servers -- even our own -- instead of their own computers. That is the wrong direction to go. Many commercial server operators abuse the users in various ways. They find it profitable to do so. A nonprofit operation could decide to make less money and not commit such abuses. I am sure the GNOME Foundation would have a higher standard of respect for the user than Facebook has. That would solve part of the problem of using servers. But some of the problems of using a server are unavoidable. For instance, under US law, it is easier for police to seize your data from a service you use than to seize them from you. The operator of the service has no choice in the matter. Also, the use of a server means loss of control over your computing. If you are using a free program, you can change your copy. But if you aren't using your own copy, but rather a copy in someone else's server, you can't change it there. Software as a Service is not the same as proprietary software, but it has the same effect. SaaS means doing your own computing on someone else's server, Some services are SaaS and some are not. The ones that aren't, don't pose this problem, and it is ok to implement them using servers. But even in that case, it's better to avoid the server if possible. For instance, consider Snowy: "Snowy is a web application for synchronizing, viewing, sharing, and editing your Tomboy notes online. It is designed to power an upcoming Tomboy Online free web service where any Tomboy user can make an account. It can also be used on your own personal server. Snowy is AGPL-licensed and written in Python using the Django framework." Synchronizing and sharing the notes are not SaaS, though editing might be SaaS. So at least some of this service is basically ok, provided Gnote can also use it (because Tomboy's dependence on C# is a problem). Even better, can Gnote be adapted to communicate these data via email, I wonder? Then it would not need a server at all. People could optionally encrypt the email using GPG for full privacy. This approach would require some programming, but that would only have to be done once; it would spare GNOME the continuing effort of running a server, and enable users to avoid depending on one. _______________________________________________ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list