Re: Issuing a press release about GNOME 3

[Alex Hudson <home alexhudson com>]

Luis,

Luis Villa wrote:
> So, yeah. When we've figured out how to make people tell it's a damn
> upgrade, get back to me, until then, calling it 3.0 is a bad idea.
>
> Sorry again for the stop energy, but when I see things plunging off a
> cliff, and a huge opportunity wasted, I think it has to be said...
>   


You know what, I totally agree with you, although I wasn't at GUADEC so 
didn't hear the plan myself.

But, here's the thing. I'm not sure 3.0 will come about if people just 
wait around for the 'big idea' to kick it off. Stuff like RedHat's 
online desktop and things are great, but I would compare that to the 
idea of time-based releases. Previously, people would release software 
"when it was ready", and the problem ended up being that ready never 
came (or, indeed, it came and went without people realising).

Waiting for a new story for GNOME 3 isn't really going to work (and, 
imho, hasn't worked): people will argue over whether or not the story is 
new enough, or that it's different enough. Invariably, it won't be.

So, I think you're right: a compelling, innovative and articulate vision 
for an improved desktop is needed. But I kind of have faith that it will 
come, to be honest. I think the biggest (and bravest) decision is saying 
that GNOME 3 will happen; deciding what it's going to be about will take 
time.

Cheers,

Alex.