On Wed, 14 Nov 2007 16:16:21 +0530, Kazim Zaidi
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said:
> On 14/11/2007, Manoj Srivastava
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> As you've quoted in one of your posts in the same thread, there's a
> choice between "variety of choices" and "simplicity". While Debian
> would try to provide a variety of choices, Ubuntu would rather *strip*
> some functionality in an attempt to prevent confusion among newbies.
I agree completely. I find that very user unfriendly. It makes
it harder for people ti learn their tools, and migrate from being a
novice user, if details are constantly being elided from them.
> Every distribution tries to be the best, and user friendliness and
> stability are common goals. My only point is (not to be misunderstood)
> is that Ubuntu strives for user-friendliness as its main goal.
Hiding information from users hinders the learning cycle. I
find Ubuntu very unfriendly, personally, since their choices are
almost never what I have grown accustomed to, and Ubuntu gets in my way
when I try to change things. I find it is easier to install Debian than
to try to configure Ubuntu to do what I want, since much needs to be
undone.
I do not buy into the marketing frame that only operating
systems that emulate windoiws or MAC OS are user friendly. Neither do I
buy into the concept that only novice users are of any importance,
because novice users are the only way to grow a market.
Have you ever considered why novice users are so important? I
mean, it makes a lot of sense for a company. If the market is not
growing, then you are engaged in an ever vicious fight with your
competition, and sooner or later, that would erode the profitability
and you would be living on paper thin margins.
If the market expands, however, you are saved from all that. And
considering how old users tend to stick with you out of brand loyalty,
it makes sense to pitch your product to new users -- and only offer
marginal incentives to old users; a new user is worth a lot more than a
few disgruntled old users.
And, unlike commercial Linux companies, Debian is not in the
business to make money -- so we do not care as much about market share
and growing the market at the expense of usability for experienced
users.
Novice users are not the only users that one should cater to --
unless one is worried about profit margins. In the latter case, it
makes a lot of sense.
> I should express my inability to cite examples. But, If you can
> understand the message I'm trying to convey, I'm sure you can give
> examples too.
I might be misunderstanding your message.
> I'm not sure if Debian has stated its goals as clearly as Ubuntu
> has. I think Debian aims for being a versatile distribution for almost
> any purpose you would use a computer for. It would be great if you, as
> a Debian developer, provide some insight in this matter.
Ubuntu has a boss. It was very evident in the GNOME input
debacle a few years ago, when Mark remarked that the wishes of the
owner were not a request.
Debian allows the people who contribute to it more freedom. It
also means we have fewer, simpler, goals. We just want to be the best
distribution, ever, but probably in the eyes of those who work on
Debian. Since some of us have internationalization, and novice appeal
in that mix, Debian benefits.
I think Debian tries to provide choice, and each one of the
developers tries to make it the best distribution for themselves, and
since we have so many contributors, Debian tends to improve on all
kinds of fronts.
Ubuntu is the cathedral. Debian is the Bazaar. Chaotic,
disorganized -- and, in my opinion, ultimately better.
> Ubuntu on the other hand, wants to be the best distribution for a home
> user.
> IMHO, Ubuntu is Debian's child, and cannot survive without it. But the
> goals and target users can be different, as they are.
> Please correct me if I'm wrong.
I would hesitate to voice an opinion on what Ubuntu is trying to
be, since I am non Mark, an employee of canonical, or even a user, so
doubtless you are correct.
--
"I think trash is the most important manifestation of culture we have in
my lifetime."- Johnny Legend
Manoj Srivastava <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <http://www.golden-gryphon.com/>
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B 924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C
_______________________________________________
ilugd mailinglist -- [email protected]
http://frodo.hserus.net/mailman/listinfo/ilugd
Next Event: http://freed.in - February 22/23, 2008
Archives at: http://news.gmane.org/gmane.user-groups.linux.delhi
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
