Ben, Thanks for the great info and clarification. This is what I was trying to get across in my previous post(s), but I think you have the best explanation yet.
Regards, J Mosser Ben Bucksch wrote: > Peter Trudelle wrote: > >> Mozilla.org is itself a distributor > > > No. It is a development platform. That's why the download page says > "just for testing purposes". > >> and even other distributors are largely distributing mozilla >> applications, relatively intact. > > > I wish they'd instead use Beonex Communicator or run their own. Then we > wouldn't have so many user questions on these newsgroups, for example. > Having Debug menus in user apps is not exactly nice either and not good > for spreading Mozilla(-derivates) far as possible. > >> If the goal were really just a platform, we would be spending a lot >> more effort on test harnesses and a lot less on apps. > > > The statement "Mozilla is for end-users" does *not* mean "Mozilla is > just a platform" This is a misinterpretation often seen on .ui. If the > latter were true, then .ui, . browser, and this very group (.mail-news) > were misplaced at mozilla.org. > > What is meant with the statement is that Mozilla does not *deal* with > end-users. It does not give stuff directly to users, rather is a source > reprository for groups like Netscape, Beonex, Galeon etc.. One goal is > to make the life of these groups as easy as possible, which does include > creating good user apps, like Navigator and Mailnews. And this includes > creating a user-friendly UI and documentation. It does not, however, > include to answer user questions (esp. the 45th time). > > The following statements are perfectly in line with my statements above: > >> http://www.mozilla.org/get-involved.html , which says " We need >> documentation for users...". http://www.mozilla.org/quality/ , which >> says "...contribute to placing a fast, stable, and truly >> standards-compliant browser and mail/news reader onto the hard disks >> of tens of millions of Internet users..." >> http://www.mozilla.org/docs/end-user/ , which says "This page provides >> links to documentation for users of Mozilla and Mozilla-based browsers." >> http://www.mozilla.org/unity-of-interface.html , wherein JWZ said "the >> goal is to let the user accomplish what they want to accomplish: not >> to produce the perfect implementation of a particular protocol." >> http://www.mozilla.org/mozilla-at-one.html , which says "Now that that >> groundwork has been laid more attention can be paid to other areas >> where work is needed, like Mozilla testing by end users ..." >> http://www.mozilla.org/roadmap/mozilla-1.0.html , where Brendan says >> '...the world needs a "1.0" from mozilla.org soon...' and " We think >> the world will be a better place, with more hands helping to improve >> Mozilla, and more people benefiting from distributions of Mozilla..." >> http://www.mozilla.org/binaries.html , which shows several end user >> products which either incorporate mozilla intact, or use it as the >> basis for their products. > > > >> a key goal of mozilla1.0 must certainly be no less than to displace >> non-mozilla browsers on every possible desktop. They might not all >> have the red star ;-), but let's face it, they are all mozilla at heart. > > > But when we say "Mozilla is not for end-users", we mean *only* the > Mozilla produced at mozilla.org, i.e. the one with the red star. *Of > course*, Netscape 6 (which is "mozilla at heart") is made for end-users. > > (BTW: I would like to replace MSIE desktops only. I have no intention to > compete with Konqueror or Opera or iCab, and I don't think that would be > healthy for the web.) > > Note: It would actually *like* mozilla.org to make binaries for > end-users. But I see that this conflicts with Netscape and is thus not > wanted by (some) mozilla.org staff. <plug>When I realized that this > won't change, I created Beonex for this purpose. See > <http://www.beonex.com/communicator/doc/vsmozilla.html>. </plug> > > Ben > > > Crossposting to .ui (see above for why). Followup to .mail-news again. > >
