> I wonder though - are these really the users we want to attract?
> If they are happy to play with their world of proprietary software,
> do they really add anything to the community?
What is wrong with proprietary software? Do you see a problem with people
running database servers on Linux with DB2, Oracle, or Sybase? howabout if
a company runs linux and StarOffice?
last but definitely not least.. when you surf the web, do you use
netscape? point, game, you can't argue with that.. 90-someodd percent of
linux users use netscape, its closed source.. don't bring up mozilla
because that's BS.. how many of us use mozilla? why is that? it sucks.
> Perhaps they can, but the truth is we have a lot more to give them
> than they have to give us. But, if get into the proprietary software
> is sufficient mindset then rather than bringing them into our world,
> we essentially turn our world into theirs and in the end they are none
> the better for it.
beleive it or not we all live in the same world.. some of us use different
types of software, but we all live in the same world :)
Not everyone who wants to further linux's growth wants it all to be free
software. I don't think that's Linus's plan. I know that is RMSes plan..
The fact is that there has to be a transition from windows to linux. You
can't go from using windows one day to being a kernel hacker the next.
applicatins like compupic make it a little easier for windows users to
move over, or for companies to implement linux in an office environment.
don't be so damned selfish..
> If Linux were to become just another platform to run Word and Excel
> and Photoshop, then what is the point? They already have that. Sure,
> they might be able to do it without their machines crashing every 10
> seconds, but is there any real gain? Maybe there is, but I do not see
> it.
>
noone runs word, or excel, or photoshop.. not that they aren't good
applications. There is nothing wrong with those programs, the problem
lies in the operating system they run on. It gives you very little power,
and it crashes all the time.
Yes, there is. people lose money and time when their machines crash.
Linux is much more flexible than windows. If they can run word and
photoshop and then do 50 other cool things they couldn't do, isn't there a
gain? compupic isn't word or photoshop though.. it adds some of the basic
desktop functionality that people need..
I'm sorry, but I'm not out to keep linux restricted to geeks and kernel
hackers.. let the people benefit. If you want to go on RMSes beleifs,the
only thing that keeps him from being a complete communist is that he
doesn't think everyone has to contribute to benefit. he thinks all
software should be free. If you have to bring something to the table and
contribute, it isn't free.. it's free beer, but you have to help your
buddy move to get it, so it ain't even as free as compupic.. Do you
contribute to free software?
if everyone has to contribute, you're basically saying only programmers
can use software.. that's like saying only mechanics can drive cars, only
construction workers can live in buildings, only newton can live by the
laws of gravity :) (maybe that one is going a bit far)
>
> > [...] Eric Raymond is much cooler than Stallman
>
> I must disagree. If I had the choice to hang out with RMS or hang
> out with Eric for day, the hands down winner would be RMS. That is
> not a knock against Eric. He is an interesting person and he serves
> an important role, but Eric is no RMS. He is not even in the same
> league. (all IMHO, of course :)
RMS had his time but it is past. his beleifs are too pure to be
practical. ESR's may be too practical to be pure but they damned sure hit
the nail on the head sometimes.. If you spent a day with RMS you would
have to make sure to refer to Linux ALWAYS as GNU/Linux.. Because, and I'm
serious, he will basically blow you off if you leave off the GNU.. RMS has
done great things but he is a self-absorbed, egotistical asshole.. his
time has passed and he is taking credit for linux because Hurd never came
around.. if I'm not mistaken its' development has, basically, stopped :)
peace out.. (and yes I know i said i was done w/ the thread but you
brought new points)
|--------------------------------------------------
|Justin Ryan
|Developer Relations / Support Associate
|Pacific HiTech / TurboLinux
|http://www.turbolinux.com / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
|WebMaster, PCHelp - http://computers.iwz.com
|[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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