Slashdot Mirror
Does Linux "Fail To Think Across Layers?"
John Siracusa writes a brief article at Ars Technica pointing out an exchange between Andrew Morton, a lead developer of the Linux kernel, and a ZFS developer. Morton accused ZFS of being a "rampant layering violation." Siracusa states that this attitude of refusing to think holistically ("across layers") is responsible for all of the current failings of Linux — desktop adoption, user-friendliness, consumer software, and gaming. ZFS is effective because it crosses the lines set by conventional wisdom. Siracusa ultimately believes that the ability to achieve such a break is more likely to emerge within an authoritative, top-down organization than from a grass-roots, fractious community such as Linux.
Linux and other open source projects are getting a harsh lesson in what it is like to ship consumer grade software products.
um, you do know that linux has been the operating system of choice for supercomputers, webservers, special effects production, scientific computing etc. for a number of years now, don't you? because you seem to think that linux, freebsd, openbsd or whatever just suddenly turned up yesterday or something. are you also aware of the fact that a lot of people who write free and open-source software get paid good money to do so?
"Ease of use. Nobody has sat first time users in front of a linux desktop and watch them puzzle over what those multiple desktops do, or how to switch between them.......If there is one thing I would suggest, get Ubuntu played with by ordinary grandma's so you can see how they get confused."
Just because your grandma is a little slow (okay, ALOT SLOW) does not mean all of them are.
My grandmother WAS sat in front of an Ubuntu box for the first time, and after 5 minutes, she asked me why her windows PC did not have Desktop switching, as it only makes sense, rather than constantly minimizing countless windows. Since she already has Firefox on her PC, there was no great hunt for the Big Blue "E" aka "the internet", and after a short explanation about how she, as a user, has her own little piece of the computer called a HOME FOLDER, and can save all her stuff there, she was set.
I am so tired of this myth that only people with a Mensa I.Q. are capable of understanding how to use a non-windows based system. Granted, she wont be editing config files or writing code, but how many outside the IT industry do that on a regular basis?
Mod me insightful (or fraking obvious, take your pick)