Re: [GnomeMeeting-devel-list] Re: You are missing the point

[Christopher Warner <zanee kernelcode com>]

Ugh, the problem is this, your analysis is just completely incorrect
even this response doesn't get it.

GnomeMeeting is like a regular telephone except that instead of dialing
a phone number you dial an IP. That is how GnomeMeeting works, it uses
Openh323 to provide Voice Over Internet Protocol capability. 

With this it also allows you to transfer audio AND video which your
current phone isn't able to do. That's GnomeMeeting in a nut shell and I
plan to take the time to explore all the different ways one can use it
and then document them. As of right now there are people using
GnomeMeeting to make long distance calls, dialing normal telephones,
conferencing, p2p chatting etc etc.

What you are looking for is integration with incompatible, proprietary
protocols that no one knows anything about and no one cares to know
about as they're proprietary. This is opensource, it would be idiotic to
base future communications on a proprietary protocol which is what
Yahoo, Aol, iChat, Messenger, Skype do. It prevents people from
communicating and talking to one another, such as you're experiencing
right now with your brother.

When you pick up the telephone you hear a dialtone, it works like that
mostly everywhere in the world. It's simple, GnomeMeeting is that phone,
GnomeMeeting is that dialtone and when you press those numbers
GnomeMeeting is the software that will allow communication with the
party you are trying to reach. So long as there is a phone at the other
end you don't have to worry about anything else.

I don't think anyone involved with GnomeMeeting would want to involve
themselves with barring you from communication with your brother such as
Messenger has. It's a sad state of affair but to compromise the future
of communication to try and work with some proprietary protocol isn't on
the top of anyones list. 

As for integration, there are several ways to get GnomeMeeting to work
with gaim but you still won't be able to call your brother until he gets
an h323 compliant phone. You can't just rip out the GnomeMeeting engine
and get it working with proprietary protocols and personally I'm sick of
people trying to control when, who and how I'll communicate with
someone. However, you're free to try. 
 
As for you finding it useless; It's not anyone's fault you aren't
thinking creatively enough to find other uses. You just don't see the
uses for GnomeMeeting now because the VoIP market is still young I
guess, or, it hasn't been marketed and shrink wrapped but you will and
when you do. GnomeMeeting will be there.

On Wed, 2003-12-10 at 18:01, Eugenia Loli-Queru wrote:
> Damien,
> thank you for the clarification.
> My point on the article was that I am looking for an IM app that can
> interoperated with Windows IM solutions in the video area as well as in the
> text chat area. My suggestion was that if this can come true by using your
> engine inside another app (e.g. Gaim), I am all for it. But if you can
> integrate GM into Gaim (or the other way around), even better. That was my
> point, even if it might not have come out very clear. There was no "FUD"
> going on, you seem to over-analyze some things.
> 
> My article was simply a wish list. As a PC user I have simple wishes or
> needs, but VoIP is not one of them. However, video chatting with my brother
> in Greece, whom I love dearly and I don't get the chance to see him much, is
> what I need. Most Greeks don't have the money to buy Macs (too expensive
> over there) and so iChat and iSight are out of the question (plus it
> requires stupid amounts of bandwidth that the greek
> "high-speed-only-in-name" Internet simply can't serve well). He uses MSN
> Messenger with a $30 USB camera in an old K6 laptop I gave him last year,
> still running Win98SE (Linux w/ Gnome2 would be too slow on that machine,
> plus he doesn't have a clue how to use Linux). Most people are still on
> Windows with Win98 or ME. As Gnome is a desktop system, I need
> interoperation with these system. GM might be great for VoIP, but in my case
> (and I guess for a lot of other people who live abroad and are far away from
> friends and family), it is mostly useless.
> 
> Please note, I am not trying to slap your project or any other project
> (well, maybe just Glade which I really don't like ;-). GM *is* one of the
> best X applications out there, I was clear about this on my first review of
> GM last week. GM is really well done, and congratulations for this. But
> speaking personally, as a Gnome user, it just doesn't do what I need it to
> do. It does well other things (e.g. VoIP, Linux user video chatting), but
> not what I need it to do (MSN, iChat and maybe Y! video interoperation). And
> hence my "wish" on that article. You don't have to take it to heart. It was
> a personal wish list, not an attack to anyone. Everyone's got their little
> wishes when using software, ranging from useless little things like color
> preferences to major feature requests. I am no exception.
> 
> Best regards,
> Eugenia
> 
> ps. On a related note, I replied to Ross on his reply to my article on his
> blog:
> http://www.burtonini.com/cgi/pyblosxom.cgi/computers/gnome-wishlist-pah-20031210
> It should clear up some misconceptions readers have regarding this article
> of mine.
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Damien Sandras" <dsandras seconix com>
> Cc: <gnomemeeting-devel-list gnome org>; <gnomemeeting-list gnome org>;
> <desktop-devel-list gnome org>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2003 1:16 AM
> Subject: You are missing the point
> 
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-- Christopher Warner 
[KC] http://www.kernelcode.com