Re: GNOME dependent on Mono

["Joe Shaw" <joe joeshaw org>]

Hi,

On 11/29/07, Jeff Waugh <jdub perkypants org> wrote:
> <quote who="Richard Stallman">
>
> > The more "cool stuff" depends on Mono, the closer we get to a situation
> > where a Microsoft attack on Mono would put GNOME in a vice.
> >
> > If these programs are important enough to deserve the term "miss out on",
> > then I think they should be written in another language.

Again, I think this is a strawman argument.  There's no evidence to
suggest that Microsoft would attack Mono any more than they would
attack other free and open source software like GNOME, the Linux
kernel, OpenOffice, Samba, Apache, Python, etc.

> That is a decision left entirely up to those who create such Free Software.
> I don't believe that we can tell them what to do or how to do it. We can ask
> politely.

It's been frustrating over the past few years that GNOME hasn't taken
a firm position on the issue.  I have personally felt very in limbo
because my application is in C#, and it would make me much more
comfortable if the community and/or the foundation came out strongly
in support of it as a first-class language and environment, or to
reject it from ever becoming a core piece of the platform.

I suspect there hasn't been anything firm because (a) there is quite a
bit of division within the community on the issue and (b) there is
some element of "walking on eggshells" around Novell and its
endorsement of the environment.

I agree this isn't really something that the foundation can force, but
even "asking politely" in an official capacity would be a step in the
right direction.

Maybe this is something the candidates should argue over. ;)

Joe