Re: Selling/Switching and GNOME [Was: Nautilus]

[Abel Cheung <abelcheung gmail com>]

On 12/22/05, Jeff Waugh <jdub perkypants org> wrote:
> <quote who="Reinout van Schouwen">
>
> > It irks me every time people talk about selling GNOME or using GNOME to
> > get people to shift from some other platform. [1]
> >
> > * That is not what GNOME is about *
>
> Yes it *absolutely* is. Freedom - not just software freedom, but the "big"
> freedoms that it supports and defends - won't magically fall out into the
> world if we just write good software. We have to go out there and "sell" it.
> We have to go out there and understand the market so we do the right things
> to lead the world to a Free system and culture. We have to go out there and
> MAKE FREEDOM HAPPEN.

On one side, GNOME is for introducing existing computer users (mostly
from Windows) there is a good alternative, and selling it is a good way
to broadcast this message. Many good software become abandonware
simply because nobody has done the PR work, thus nobody knew those
project existed.

On the other side, GNOME is not _limitied to_ converting existing users.
If whole desktop is based on such belief, then GNOME is no more than
a clone of other desktops, which brings no real benefit (except $) to users.

Abel

>
> You may not be interested in or motivated by this stuff, but don't for a
> minute think that it is not important to our goals or success.
>
> - Jeff
>
> --
> linux.conf.au 2006: Dunedin, New Zealand               http://linux.conf.au/
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Abel Cheung   (GPG Key: 0xC67186FF)
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