Re: Certification for GNOME apps

[Alan Cox <alan lxorguk ukuu org uk>]

On Mer, 2005-07-13 at 16:27, Federico Mena Quintero wrote:
> - A way for users to know which app is more GNOME-like; hopefully this
> will give them a way to pick the better product.

You also need a list of things that are not acceptable, things that
regardless of how "GNOME" they are would damage the foundations 'good
name'. Things like

- Spyware
- Applications which allow documents to spy on users without
permission/by default (like possibly Adobe's javascript in pdf)
- Software which is license violating
- Software which otherwise harms the name of GNOME
- "Software the foundation management believes would harm the reputation
of GNOME"
- Software where a referendum of members is called, counts achieved and
the referendum is passed against certification [ie a last resort]

> 
> You know those printers or modems that have a penguin sticker that says
> "works with Linux"?  Don't they give you a warm and fuzzy feeling?
> GNOME certification is the same thing:  it means that someone tested
> your app to see that it works well with GNOME.
> 
> I don't have names for the certification levels yet.  They are something
> like this:
> 
> Level 0 - the app runs without doing idiotic things like taking over
> your desktop.  It appears in the panel menus, and it installs its MIME
> handlers.  Pretty much any X app can be made to conform to this.

Should include basic accessibility at this level. If its not accessible
its software that is excluding parts of the user base and potentially
foundation members and thats just -wrong- for certification.

> Level 1 - the app uses the standard GNOME dialogs (file, printing).
> Drag-and-drop works.  See OpenOffice.org a good examples.

Sounds good
> 
> Level 2 - the app is actually written with GTK+.

Why does this matter ? Surely it is about degrees of integration and HIG
compliance.

> 
> Level N - etc.

I trust "open source" is a level too ?

> The idea is that lower levels are easier to implement, and higher levels
> denote that you actually put in a good effort to make your app
> GNOME-like.

Should the lowest levels be GNOME or Freedesktop ?