Re: [Gnome-print] Re: GnomeFont state of affairs

[Wolfgang Sourdeau <wolfgang ultim net>]

La plume légère, à Thu, Jun 29, 2000 at 04:39:19PM -0400, heure d'inpiration,
Miguel de Icaza écrivait en ces mots:
> > That's a stupid goal. The goal should be to make free software
> > succeed. GNOME is a means to an end. Don't lose sight of that.
> 
> Maybe it is a stupid goal if you are not looking at the big picture
> and you just want small pieces to succeed.  Granted, it gives you a
> higher chance of overall success if you are just aiming at little
> pieces.  But GNOME is a more ambitious project than a collection of
> independent utility libraries that are orthogonal to each other.  
> 
> GNOME will be everywhere, and to do this we need to build on existing
> frameworks and reuse as much code as possible.  We do want to stand on
> each other's shoulders, not on each others toes.
> 
> Miguel.

I certainly don't want to restart this discussion which occured a few weeks ago
already.

But as it is restarting, I want to state my opinions once more.

Gnome IS the GNU Desktop and is part of the GNU project, which aims at creating
a complete free operating system.
OTOH, it doesn't mean it doesn't have to be good. Obviously, as a software
project, every programmer involved in it certainly want to put the best of
himself. The fact that GNOME is free software permits to collaborate and to
build a wonderful piece of software. Remember, we wouldn't have such an opportunity with
proprietary software.

So in my opinion, there is no point in such a discussion. Both goals are
compatible. I am sure that everyone here wants to make GNOME the best desktop
ever, primarily for the GNU operating system and its derivatives and afterwards
for the other (proprietary or not) OS's out there.

It remains that making GNOME work at its best on GNU must be our priority. The
other OS's have to remain secondary targets.


Wolfgang
-- 
A chicken is an egg's way of producing more eggs.