Volker Kuhlmann wrote:
There are a lot of computing needs which are definitely not met by Linux. Speech recognition is one, and don't start arguing that there isn't a *need* here unless you want to make a fool out of yourself.
You are right it is needed. But it is needed in heaps of platforms. Speech recognition is not reliable anywhere.
You are correct that open source is not producing speech recognition software very well and that is not the only area of soft ware development that is not very well "handled" by RMS's vision.
Games are another field. But that doesn't mean you throw the baby out with the bathwater.
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Quite frankly, I see that attitude as a hindrance when it starts to be in the way of commercial use of Linux. Meeting all needs by free(speech) software is utopic, thinking that needs are met now is naive. And I need a useable computing platform *now*, not in the distant utopia, and I don't think I'm a minority here. Of course I don't think there's anything wrong with ideals, but I prefer not to let them be in the way of reality.
That is an attitude that I tend to disagree with. Although I would not like to seriously disadvantage my family by *never* buying any proprietary software (or nonsustainably grown food, battery chickens etc), idealism is absolutely vital to any civilised society IMO.
We *need* to be able to identify our mistakes and then remedy things.
We need to work towards a better way of developing and earning a living from software and it's development. The proprietary software business model is unsustainable in most situations. The company(s?) make way way way too much money for the amount of good that is provided to our society.
It's only software!
Why has it made some of the richest men in the world?
But please don't then infer that that is right and then accept the status quo.
Volker
PS Smart comments about consumers (your next post) doesn't address problems either, and it looks to me like a fact that consumers rule, like it or not (I do and don't, depending).
