Re: [gtk-list] Re: GTK+ and non-Unix OS

[Square Avenue <dfinton d umn edu>]

On Thu, 16 Apr 1998, Matt Kimball wrote:

> I don't agree at all.  Yes MS is evil, but there are lots of Windows
> unders who don't understand the free software world.  Lots of them
> believe all the FUD about free software being inferior in quality to
> proprietary software and don't understand why they would want the
> source code to the programs they run.  Surely they would be
> enlightened if they saw some of the excellent software being produced
> by the free software community?  Consider it planting the seed of
> rebellion in the heart of the MS empire.  I think it will benefit the
> free software movement in the long run if we port quality free
> software apps to proprietary operating systems.

My whole philosophy on the deal is that it would be nice if it were the
free software community that did the assimilating for a change.  :)

> If Windows users see that they can get an app that is better than
> Photoshop from the free software community, perhaps they will begin to
> wonder if they could get an OS better than Windows?  I think they
> might.  And even if they don't, users exposed to free software are
> more likely to write free software.  I never would have switched to
> Linux or written any free software (in the FSF sense of 'free') if I
> hadn't been exposed to the GNU tools under proprietary operating
> systems.  I would never have known what I was missing.

My decision to run Linux was influenced heavily by my exposure to Solaris
(running at our school here) in 1994.  I would have been running Linux in
1995 if it weren't for the fact I had my mom's computer at the time and
she didn't want me mucking around with the system.  So I got my own
computer (and I just finally paid off my credit card one year later :) and
installed Slackware.

Once my roommates saw my computer running X with all the goodies, they all
put Linux on their computers (we've got 4 Linux boxes in our houses, one
of them being a dual boot).

So sum up, Yes I'd like to see a Win95 version of GTK and ultimately the
GIMP.  It would be hard to give everybody the Holy Grail but not show it
to them first.  :)

                                      - Dave

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
  Name:  David Finton                  | "All free software is in Beta.  If
 Email:  dfinton@d.umn.edu             |  there is a free software package
   Web:  http://www.d.umn.edu/~dfinton |  bearing the version number 1.0 or
                                       |  greater, it is obsolete and must
                                       |  be replaced immediately by a
                                       |  newer, better Beta version."
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