Re: FSF, terminology, and marketing

[Brian Cameron <Brian Cameron Sun COM>]

Baris:

> There was a big discussion about GNU/Linux terminology usage in
> documentation years ago. Here is the starting thread about that
> discussion:
> http://mail.gnome.org/archives/gnome-doc-list/2006-July/msg00200.html
>
> I didn't re-read whole discussion but I remember there wasn't any
> terminology enforcement done by GNOME Doc Team about this.
>
> I've also checked some marketing materials. GNOME 2.26 Release notes
> does not have any mention of term "Linux", and in Quarterly Report only
> places where Linux is used are either "Trademarks" or valid usage of
> Linux as an operating system. And at homepage of gnome.org we already
> use GNU/Linux. 
>
> In my honest opinion, as GNOME, our relationship with Linux is similar
> to our relationship with BSD or Solaris kernels. If we won't call
> GNU/Solaris, calling GNU/Linux everywhere wouldn't be a consistent
> approach.

As you say, perhaps if there is not a real need to refer to "Linux" in
our writing, then we should more actively avoid using a controversial
term.  I often notice that when it is used, it is often used to mean
"any distribution which uses GNOME", which is, as you highlight, an
incorrect usage anyway.

Brian