Summary: 1. www.desktoplinuxconsortium.com started 2. KDE and Gnome are putting out a shared document about Human Interface Guidelines
Nice to see forward momentum in the Desktop Linux area. Be looking for lots of mud slinging concerning desktop market share over the next few years. John Hebert ------- Forwarded message ------- From: John Hebert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Linux Desktop efforts shaping up was Fwd: RUSSELL PAVLICEK: "The Open Source" InfoWorld.com, February 19, 2003 Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 13:18:04 -0800 (PST) > --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >> From [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wed Feb 19 10:43:08 >> 2003 >> Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 12:43:08 -0600 >> Subject: RUSSELL PAVLICEK: "The Open Source" >> InfoWorld.com, February 19, 2003 >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> > ======================================================== >> RUSSELL PAVLICEK: "The Open Source" InfoWorld.com >> > ======================================================== >> Wednesday, February 19, 2003 >> >> Advertising Sponsor - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >> - - >> CTO Forum 2003: Traction Through Technology >> March 31 - April 2, 2003, Boston, Massachusetts >> Today's IT and business leaders are tasked with >> leveraging >> the latest technology innovations to transform >> business >> processes. At CTO Forum 2003 - InfoWorld editors >> take >> collaboration to a higher level. At the only event >> of its >> kind CTOs get a rare chance to interact, network and >> share >> ideas for 2.5 days in Boston this spring. >> Platinum Sponsors - Accenture, Proficient Networks >> Gold Sponsor - Keynote >> http://www.infoworld.com/ctoforum >> >> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >> - - >> >> NEW DAY FOR LINUX ON THE DESKTOP >> >> By Russell C. Pavlicek >> >> Posted February 14, 2003 03:00 Pacific Time >> >> It started off as a conference about the Linux >> desktop. In >> the end, it may be considered the event that >> accomplished its >> goal in spite of itself. >> >> The event is the soon-to-occur Desktop Linux Summit >> scheduled >> for Feb. 20 and 21 in San Diego, Calif. It was >> originally >> billed as "the first-event entirely devoted to >> desktop Linux >> and will be hosted by the top executives of leading >> technology companies" (see >> www.desktoplinux.com/news/NS7709909925.html). >> >> Unfortunately, the conference hit a major pothole >> before >> arriving at its destination. The key sponsor of the >> event, >> Lindows, apparently decided to exercise its >> preeminence by >> unilaterally superseding the work of the show's >> advisory >> board, which it had assembled for the event. With >> barely a >> month until show time, Lindows reportedly replaced >> the show >> agenda, substituting the original opening keynote >> speaker >> Bruce Perens, an author and open-source advocate, >> with >> Lindows CEO Michael Robertson. >> >> This sent some of the participants into an uproar >> because the >> promised vendor-neutral summit was suddenly looking >> like a >> very vendor-specific event. Several show supporters >> have >> apparently left the ranks of expected participants, >> including >> Hewlett-Packard, former organizer DesktopLinux.com, >> Linux >> distributor Lycoris, and the aforementioned Mr. >> Perens. >> >> Now, I understand the principle that the kid who >> owns the >> ball gets to pick the game to be played, but that >> should >> happen before the players take the field. In the >> world of >> conferences, the time for directional changes is >> months >> before the show - before sponsors, vendors, and >> attendees >> commit time, money, and manpower in support of the >> event. >> Making radical changes at the 11th hour is just not >> good >> business. >> >> Likewise, when over 98 percent of the product you >> sell is >> created by others, it is not wise to do things that >> alienate >> these suppliers. Yet this turn of events generated >> significantly more bad feeling toward Lindows in the >> Linux >> developer community - which is quite a feat since >> Lindows has >> an uncanny knack for irritating the open-source >> community as >> it is. >> >> But the story does not end there. In true >> open-source style, >> a very active movement to turn lemons into lemonade >> is taking >> shape. In open source, a project that executes good >> concepts >> poorly is often replaced with a new project that >> aims to >> execute the same good concepts in a better fashion. >> In this >> case, the new project can be seen in the recent >> birth of the >> Desktop Linux Consortium (DLC) (see >> www.desktoplinuxconsortium.com), a neutral vendor >> organization formed to further the advance of Linux >> on the >> desktop. DLC members include SuSE, MandrakeSoft, >> DesktopLinux.com, KDE, and Ximian; Lindows is >> notably absent >> from the roster. >> >> The formation of the DLC has had two major >> consequences. >> First, it clearly indicates that many vendors >> believe the >> time has come for desktop Linux. And second, it >> reminds us >> that advances in the open-source world are not >> subject to any >> single organization's whims. Advances will continue >> even if >> one organization falters in execution. >> >> Add to this the recent desktop offerings from SuSE >> and Red >> Hat, the birth of desktop distribution Xandros, and >> the >> announcement that KDE and Gnome desktop groups now >> intend to >> publish a shared document for Human Interface >> Guidelines, and >> it is clear that the Linux desktop is now serious >> business. >> >> Russell Pavlicek is an independent open-source >> consultant. >> Contact him at >> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> >> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >> - - >> >> THE LATEST IN LINUX FROM INFOWORLD: >> >> * Linux creeps into storage management space >> > http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/02/14/07linux_1.html >> >> * New day for Linux on the desktop >> > http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/02/14/07osource_1.html >> >> * Lindows shopping >> > http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/02/14/07connection_1.html >> >> * Motorola calls on Linux for smart phone >> > http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/02/13/HNmotolinux_1.html >> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >> - - >> >> To join, or start, a discussion on this or any >> IT-related >> topic, please visit our InfoWorld forums at >> http://forums.infoworld.com. 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At the only event >> of its >> kind CTOs get a rare chance to interact, network and >> share >> ideas for 2.5 days in Boston this spring. >> Platinum Sponsors - Accenture, Proficient Networks >> Gold Sponsor - Keynote >> http://www.infoworld.com/ctoforum >> >> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >> - - >> >> Copyright 2003 InfoWorld Media Group Inc. >> >> >> This message was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Shopping - Send Flowers for Valentine's Day > http://shopping.yahoo.com > -- John Hebert System Engineer I T Group, Inc. http://www.it-group.com
