22 Jul
2012
22 Jul
'12
12:01 a.m.
Lisi wrote:
I was at a local LUG meeting today and was very
distressed that the above view
should be expressed, and forcefully. I found it distressing because that is
quite some allegation - that we and Mate users and Cinnamon users etc., (all
splinter groups) are actually damaging Linux, doing it harm.
When Linus Torvalds comes out publicly and states that he is moving to Windows
because people are using the wrong desktop environment, that is when I will
give credence to the above ignorant, arrogant opinion.
I have worked for a company doing Linux consultancy for 10+ years, and we have
spent vast amounts of time and effort evangelizing for Linux to the business
community and government. I would say that, of all the reasons why people
stick to Windows and don't migrate to Linux, "too many competing desktop
environments" is about #87, just below "don't know whether to call it
LINE-UCKS or LIN-EX" and "My astrologer told me never to use a computer
program starting with L".
The fact that we are free to digress and disagree is
why I like open source so
much. Take away that freedom and we might as well all use Windows. It
seemed to me a quite extraordinary allegation. And as I say, I found it
personally upsetting.
Please excuse my language, but opinions are like arseholes -- everyone has got
one, but not everyone should expose theirs in public.
I would pay no attention to a bunch of ignorant people, especially since they
are not in a position to do anything except yack-yack-yack. But if you insist
in arguing with them, I suggest that you tell them that you agree that there
are too many desktop environments. Thank them for their tireless work in
decreasing the amount of software freedom, and ask them to come back and
report once they have got KDE 4, Gnome 3 and Unity closed down. Ratpoison for
everyone!
http://www.linuxgoodies.com/review_rat.html
--
Steven