Re: Thoughts about Kde, Gnome, and Staying Neutral (Was gtk-term widget?)

[Matthew <matthew mattshouse com>]

>> There is absolutely no reason why their custom widgets
>> and APIs have to tie into Gnome.
>> 
>So write your own, if it bugs you so much. Even at the widget set level
>you're going to have in-fighting and in a perfect world, program designs
>are set up so that the portions of the work that don't need a GUI are
>separate from the portions that do, anyway.

"So write your own", the desperate cry of the jilted programmer.  The point
flew right over your head.  I'm not bitching about needing a GUI.  I'm bitching
about needing Gnome.  By requiring Gnome you're saying that Gtk isn't good
enough to handle your project, and forcing Kde to "roll their own".

>The beauty of this entire development model is if you think something
>sucks, you can fork. If your code is good, it'll get used or merged, if
>it's not, it won't. And don't take it personally when people elect not
>to use your code. People will tend to choose the best tool for their
>particular job. The "My way is the right way" attitude works for
>Microsoft, but it has no business in this community.

Hmm, now a Microsoft reference...  I've hit a nerve.  Is this just venting or
are you always like this?  Who doesn't think that their way is the right way? 
You certainly do, and you cannot be blamed for that.  I saw in Gnome-db a
chance to provide a uniform API and GUI for accessing databases.  I should have
known that politics would screw that up.

>> competition, folks.  Case in point Evogellan (Evolution and Magellan).  Why not
>> just name them Goutlook and Koutlook?  These guys could kick some serious
>> proprietary ass if they would cooperate on "LinOutlook".

>As I said, that's the whole point of the community. And NIH syndrome and
>programmer ego clashes are no stranger to any development team. However
>the right to fork if you don't like the way a project is going is what
>makes this community strong. Usually changes and features get merged or
>you end up with two radically different products serving different needs
>for different people. This process may take a while or it may happen
>overnight, but it DOES happen. At least, as long as everyone plays nice
>and sticks to a truly open license.

So you do not see the futility of creating two almost-identical Outlookish
applications, one for Kde and one for Gnome?  You do not agree that if the two
projects worked together that they could create something far better?  You
know, Desktop-induced tunnel vision is a dangerous thing.

>And yes, I'm doing corporate development too, and every so often I do
>gnash my teeth at something or other. But I respect how this community
>works. Hell, I actually really dig it. I much prefer to work this way.

Corporate development?  Who said anything about that?  I'm the leader of a very
successfull free software project.  Check it out, it's right down your alley:
http://www.orasoft.org

And stop throwing out the word "Community".  I've been a card-carrying,
evangilizing member for a long time.

Matthew