The only way to combat copyright control is to start creating quality content and offering it in a GPL type way. It could even be something similar to how Ghostscript is done if you need to make money off of it. After a year give it away.
We need to start making high quality music that people would enjoy.
We need to get video editing equipment and start producing quality videos, shorts, and full movies.
I realize that there is a need $$ to produce high quality works, but that amount of $$ is dropping fast. This is the creative commons. It's us being creators and producers, not consumers and passive audiences. Make it a point to produce more than you consume!
I actually tried KDE a week or two ago because of this. Maybe it's because I've been using GNOME since the beginning, or maybe it's something else(I'm used to total customization, and I can't live without Gnumeric, Gimp, GnuCash, Evolution and Gaim... and am too much looking forward to Nautilus... Not to mention I like the GNOME framework better, and I'm not into running GNOME apps in KDE or the other way around) but I really didn't like it. To each his own I guess...
I hear a lot from Open Sourcers that competition is good. It's a shame there had to be a split, or we could both have a complete rocking desktop right now. I am always a fan of cooperation over competition. But I am a avid GNU Free Software kind of guy, and I do stand behind the existance of GNOME(unfortunate early choices in KDE).
Thanks for responding. I can understand the XP focus from a business app developers standpoint. They want to be available everywhere, thinking that will help sales.
As I posted in reply to one of the other replies, my business model would be different. Maybe I'm a risk taker(it's probably because I'm not in their position), but I would pick a platform and make the best app I could for that platform. XP would only come into play if I had a kind of app that wasn't on any platform. Why should netscape care about the MS Windows and Mac platforms? They are throughly beat in both of them. Would it be too much of a gamble to just make the best GNOME(or pick whatever you think is gonna be the best platform) Web browser possible for that platform? You would be totally in control of that platform. Still, if the platform doesn't catch on, you are out of business... but if your platform caught on, people would call you a genious...
Anyways... I'm with you... all I can say to your last paragraph is Amen!
I guess I shouldn't have been so hard on Abi... I lumped them with OpenOffice, without giving them a fair trial. I'll try to be more careful next time.
I use the GNOME version of Abi as my sole Word Processor, and I am thankful for it. I do think it could be done better and much faster as a single platform app though. And I would love it if it used the Gnome Canvas, and I will love it when it uses Bonobo(According to the mailing list archives this should be coming, but there are questions about how to implement because of XP issues). I am also glad they made it able to use libxml(this is new). Still, I can't help but thinking it would be on par with Gnumeric right now if it wasn't XP.
I won't write much more than say thank you for responding and representing the XP position.
I actually think MS had one right here(that will get me shunned in the GNOME community). They developed a platform. Then they wrote apps that utilized that platform. Even when they did a Mac IE they first ported the platform, then just re-wrote the app independent of the windows implementation. GNOME can be a platform better than MS Windows, if given the attention. That is my hope...
I've used Galeon, a lot actually. But to be blunt, that is what my rant was about. Why use the Mozilla rendering engine(other than that it does a pretty good job rendering)? Galeon is a Gtk/Glade interface around a cross platform app(don't believe me? Look at your scrollbars). The embedded Mozilla widget is slow(in my opinion, but I don't have the fastest computer) and it doesn't take advantage of any of the GNOME technologies available.
I guess it's a philosophy thing... If I were a Netscape(pre-AOL) or Sun I would except that we totally lost the battle for MS Windows desktop apps. I would look for the platform that could challenge and I would make the apps native for it. I think GNOME can be that platform, but everyone seems fine with letting it be just another platform(maybe it's too risky). "We can do this hack, and make use this cool XP app in our desktop" seems to be a common thought. Wow, this is turning into another rant... I'll stop now...
Hey, someone in the know actually responding to me. I was sure I would be written off as a wacko or something. Thanks for responding.
Well, I personally don't think a webbrowser needs to be everything to everyone. I would love working with a lightweight browser that supported: HTML, XHTML, CSS, SSL, Cookies and maybe Javascript. That would be great for me. That should be coming to GNOME in the shape of Encompass with GtkHTML2. How hard would it be to make it embed Bonobo components? Then you could even get Flash or Java Bonobo components(provided someone wrote them) going... Hmmm... I like it. And you can make it be a Bonobo Component itself...
Well, I am very glad to hear Achtung hasn't been abandoned. Looking over the mailing list archives since the announcement of OpenOffice, and checking the ChangeLog in CVS made it look dead. I guess there really isn't a point in posting to a mailing list and doing constant commits if you are the only developer. Go Joe!
And then OpenOffice(and I think most of this applies to AbiWord as well)... All I can see on the mailing lists is that they want to make the apps Bonobo components. Which is great. But, it looked like they aren't going to be using the canvas, maybe not gnome-print(seems to be some discussion, and seem to be leaning away from it), supporting GTK+ only through their own portability layer(which must be done to get as many platforms as they want) and no use of libxml, gconf, and other such GNOME technologies. Portability layers make things big, and slow in development. I would even love it if one of our GNOME companies forked AbiWord or OpenOffice to concentrate on GNOME only.
Anyways... I do thank you for responding, and correcting a couple of things for me.
I was looking for a place to rant about GNOME, and then this was posted, which gives me my opportunity.
First let me say I am an avid GNOME user, use it all the time, love it, etc, etc, etc... I wish I had the programming skill/desire to help out.
Anyways, here is the rant: I HATE CROSS PLATFORM APPS!!!!!!!!! AGH!!! I have been reading mailing list archives lately, trying to find a good place to be able to contribute. In my opinion the things holding GNOME back are lack of a couple of key apps: Word Processor, Presenter, and Web Browser. Every GNOME company(who have the best programmers) seems content to accept XP apps for these. OpenOffice is not gonna be the GNOME Office I want, it's way too bloated and XP centered. Follow Gnumeric's lead! Make very good totally GNOME based apps! AbiWord, OpenOffice and Mozilla are not what I want! They all sacrifice what could be, and can't make the best use of what is available in the GNOME platform. I have been looking at Codefactory's gtkhtml2, which could be the webbrowser base needed, but Achtung has been abandoned... and where oh where is a good word processor! Okay, I think that's the end of it... I need to learn GUI programming better so I can make it happen, I know... I'm working on it...
Yeah, it was a nice letter. I'm glad he has the guts to write it.
The thing that bothers me is that he, and Red Hat in general talk like they wrote all the software. If they did write all the software, then all of his points make great sense. But the fact is, they didn't. They get attacked for being like Microsoft because they are trying to be innovative and controlling. And there is no way they should have had gcc 2.96 in their distro! The thing that I see needed most in the commercial companies is more respect for the many individuals and groups who did write the software. And I'm not talking about things like calling their distro GNU/Linux,(which isn't a bad idea, although it is very limited, should be more like GNU/XFree86/etc/etc/etc/Linux) but about respecting the authors with releases, and giving more credit to the authors.
That's the end of my rant. I would like to thank Red Hat for what they have contributed in terms of software, especially funding authors, and running the Labs, and such...
Slashdot Mirror
The only way to combat copyright control is to start creating quality content and offering it in a GPL type way. It could even be something similar to how Ghostscript is done if you need to make money off of it. After a year give it away.
We need to start making high quality music that people would enjoy.
We need to get video editing equipment and start producing quality videos, shorts, and full movies.
I realize that there is a need $$ to produce high quality works, but that amount of $$ is dropping fast. This is the creative commons. It's us being creators and producers, not consumers and passive audiences. Make it a point to produce more than you consume!
Daniel
Ha ha ha... Hey Macka, thanks for responding...
I actually tried KDE a week or two ago because of this. Maybe it's because I've been using GNOME since the beginning, or maybe it's something else(I'm used to total customization, and I can't live without Gnumeric, Gimp, GnuCash, Evolution and Gaim... and am too much looking forward to Nautilus... Not to mention I like the GNOME framework better, and I'm not into running GNOME apps in KDE or the other way around) but I really didn't like it. To each his own I guess...
I hear a lot from Open Sourcers that competition is good. It's a shame there had to be a split, or we could both have a complete rocking desktop right now. I am always a fan of cooperation over competition. But I am a avid GNU Free Software kind of guy, and I do stand behind the existance of GNOME(unfortunate early choices in KDE).
Anyways.. thanks for responding...
Peace out...
Daniel
Hey unclei,
Thanks for responding. I can understand the XP focus from a business app developers standpoint. They want to be available everywhere, thinking that will help sales.
As I posted in reply to one of the other replies, my business model would be different. Maybe I'm a risk taker(it's probably because I'm not in their position), but I would pick a platform and make the best app I could for that platform. XP would only come into play if I had a kind of app that wasn't on any platform. Why should netscape care about the MS Windows and Mac platforms? They are throughly beat in both of them. Would it be too much of a gamble to just make the best GNOME(or pick whatever you think is gonna be the best platform) Web browser possible for that platform? You would be totally in control of that platform. Still, if the platform doesn't catch on, you are out of business... but if your platform caught on, people would call you a genious...
Anyways... I'm with you... all I can say to your last paragraph is Amen!
Peace out...
Daniel
Hey ac,
I guess I shouldn't have been so hard on Abi... I lumped them with OpenOffice, without giving them a fair trial. I'll try to be more careful next time.
I use the GNOME version of Abi as my sole Word Processor, and I am thankful for it. I do think it could be done better and much faster as a single platform app though. And I would love it if it used the Gnome Canvas, and I will love it when it uses Bonobo(According to the mailing list archives this should be coming, but there are questions about how to implement because of XP issues). I am also glad they made it able to use libxml(this is new). Still, I can't help but thinking it would be on par with Gnumeric right now if it wasn't XP.
Anyways... Thanks for responding...
Peace Out...
Daniel
Hey there,
Now this is the kind of response I was expecting.
I won't write much more than say thank you for responding and representing the XP position.
I actually think MS had one right here(that will get me shunned in the GNOME community). They developed a platform. Then they wrote apps that utilized that platform. Even when they did a Mac IE they first ported the platform, then just re-wrote the app independent of the windows implementation. GNOME can be a platform better than MS Windows, if given the attention. That is my hope...
Peace out...
Daniel
Hey Rick,
I've used Galeon, a lot actually. But to be blunt, that is what my rant was about. Why use the Mozilla rendering engine(other than that it does a pretty good job rendering)? Galeon is a Gtk/Glade interface around a cross platform app(don't believe me? Look at your scrollbars). The embedded Mozilla widget is slow(in my opinion, but I don't have the fastest computer) and it doesn't take advantage of any of the GNOME technologies available.
I guess it's a philosophy thing... If I were a Netscape(pre-AOL) or Sun I would except that we totally lost the battle for MS Windows desktop apps. I would look for the platform that could challenge and I would make the apps native for it. I think GNOME can be that platform, but everyone seems fine with letting it be just another platform(maybe it's too risky). "We can do this hack, and make use this cool XP app in our desktop" seems to be a common thought. Wow, this is turning into another rant... I'll stop now...
Peace out...
Dan
Hey, someone in the know actually responding to me. I was sure I would be written off as a wacko or something. Thanks for responding.
Well, I personally don't think a webbrowser needs to be everything to everyone. I would love working with a lightweight browser that supported: HTML, XHTML, CSS, SSL, Cookies and maybe Javascript. That would be great for me. That should be coming to GNOME in the shape of Encompass with GtkHTML2. How hard would it be to make it embed Bonobo components? Then you could even get Flash or Java Bonobo components(provided someone wrote them) going... Hmmm... I like it. And you can make it be a Bonobo Component itself...
Well, I am very glad to hear Achtung hasn't been abandoned. Looking over the mailing list archives since the announcement of OpenOffice, and checking the ChangeLog in CVS made it look dead. I guess there really isn't a point in posting to a mailing list and doing constant commits if you are the only developer. Go Joe!
And then OpenOffice(and I think most of this applies to AbiWord as well)... All I can see on the mailing lists is that they want to make the apps Bonobo components. Which is great. But, it looked like they aren't going to be using the canvas, maybe not gnome-print(seems to be some discussion, and seem to be leaning away from it), supporting GTK+ only through their own portability layer(which must be done to get as many platforms as they want) and no use of libxml, gconf, and other such GNOME technologies. Portability layers make things big, and slow in development. I would even love it if one of our GNOME companies forked AbiWord or OpenOffice to concentrate on GNOME only.
Anyways... I do thank you for responding, and correcting a couple of things for me.
God Bless,
Dan
I was looking for a place to rant about GNOME, and then this was posted, which gives me my opportunity.
First let me say I am an avid GNOME user, use it all the time, love it, etc, etc, etc... I wish I had the programming skill/desire to help out.
Anyways, here is the rant: I HATE CROSS PLATFORM APPS!!!!!!!!! AGH!!! I have been reading mailing list archives lately, trying to find a good place to be able to contribute. In my opinion the things holding GNOME back are lack of a couple of key apps: Word Processor, Presenter, and Web Browser. Every GNOME company(who have the best programmers) seems content to accept XP apps for these. OpenOffice is not gonna be the GNOME Office I want, it's way too bloated and XP centered. Follow Gnumeric's lead! Make very good totally GNOME based apps! AbiWord, OpenOffice and Mozilla are not what I want! They all sacrifice what could be, and can't make the best use of what is available in the GNOME platform. I have been looking at Codefactory's gtkhtml2, which could be the webbrowser base needed, but Achtung has been abandoned... and where oh where is a good word processor! Okay, I think that's the end of it... I need to learn GUI programming better so I can make it happen, I know... I'm working on it...
Alright...
Peace out...
Dan
Yeah, it was a nice letter. I'm glad he has the guts to write it.
The thing that bothers me is that he, and Red Hat in general talk like they wrote all the software. If they did write all the software, then all of his points make great sense. But the fact is, they didn't. They get attacked for being like Microsoft because they are trying to be innovative and controlling. And there is no way they should have had gcc 2.96 in their distro! The thing that I see needed most in the commercial companies is more respect for the many individuals and groups who did write the software. And I'm not talking about things like calling their distro GNU/Linux,(which isn't a bad idea, although it is very limited, should be more like GNU/XFree86/etc/etc/etc/Linux) but about respecting the authors with releases, and giving more credit to the authors.
That's the end of my rant. I would like to thank Red Hat for what they have contributed in terms of software, especially funding authors, and running the Labs, and such...
Daniel
I've read a couple articles that mentioned the possibility of LDAP replacing DNS someday...
Could this be the kind of project to test the possibility and feasibility of this?
I realize that almost everyone would have to run a caching nameserver on their machine that did the convertions, but it's do-able...
I am gonna start hacking a DNS to LDAP caching daemon...
danfarrell