2 Apr 2000 Gimptek   » (Journeyer)

I see so many different things that are missing from the whole GNU spectrum. Mostly little things but, in the end, that can end up being a major stumbling block for Linux and GNU.

I also want to see more open source software in Windows. Yes, windows. Last time I remembered, windows software wasn't banned from being in the GNU, though you would think that from all the bias and propaganda that surrounds Linux and the BSDs.

Lite Step (www.litestep.net), perfect example of a GREAT project with almost zero visisbility in the Linux/Open Source community.

Projects like this need to be visible and talked about. They need to be supported and coded. Linux coders can code in Windows. They can learn about how windows works. Like it or not, most of the world runs on windows 95. That isn't going to change soon. The sooner people realize that instead of living in a pipe dream that Linux is going to sweep the world all of a sudden instead of a slow gradual acceptace that will have set-backs and may never totally outshine windows.

Linux might not win. Linux might just be useful and part of the solution for an end user. An end user. A novel idea. Someone who just uses the OS and the tools and doesn't hack code! Is this so bad? At least 90% of people will never even think of touching source code. They aren't bad people, they just have stuff to do.

Linux and GNU needs to start tailoring itself to them. If Linux is going to take over the world, it must understand the world it's going to take over. Alot of coders may never want that. Mainstream. Isn't that a scary thought? If kernel traffic got bogged down with stupid questions now, think if Joe Q. Public was just a click away from ranting about every little problem to the likes of Alan Cox and Linus himself.

Bill Gates has a staff of people to answer his e-mail. Linus still hand reads all his as does almost all linux developers. I say that Linux isn't quite ready to be mainstream. Hackers aren't quite ready to be rock stars. They may end up not even wanting the fame and all the stupid things that come with it.

This is just open ranting now. Unorganized but, hopefully you see that this isn't flamebait but, rather things that I think that the community needs to talk about. It you are interested in some dialog about this, e- mail me. I'm not here to be flamed and all flames will not recive any reply.

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