I posed a question in the last board meeting that I'll re-pose here:
Are we, Fedora, in the business of:
- #1 Showcasing all the various free software desktops available -
making it easy to switch desktops
OR
- #2 Building a coherent, usable operating system from selections of the
best free software has to offer such that free software can reach a
wider audience?
I really care very passionately about #2, which is why I do silly things
like volunteer with the Girl Scouts and teach them how to use Fedora. To
my great dismay I've had people from clubhouse #1 tell me 14-year-old
girls have no business using Linux. It's that kind of attitude that
makes me feel we have to fight even harder for #2.
What's the point of working on free software if it can't help the people
who need it? The people who don't know what a DE is and really don't
care as they'd rather spend their time writing their resume or creating
new songs with Fedora?
Mo, this is a false dichotomy. I also believe that it's unfair. To claim that the GNOME-centric vision is the only vision that could *possibly* help users smacks of hubris, to me.
I don't see anyone seriously disputing the GNOME spin's position of dominance. It has the biggest chunk of Red Hat's resources behind it, it has the most mindshare of all the spins, it has the most real estate on the web site, it has the most PR around it. It is the "winner", for lack of a better term.
The question is, how do we treat everyone else? How do we treat people who have a vision that is not the GNOME-centric vision of the world?
I think that we should treat them with the respect they are due. I think we should say "our primary focus is the GNOME Desktop, but your work is also very valuable, and to that end, we can promise resources X and Y, and even though we can't promise resources Q and Z, we're willing to have conversations about how to grow those resources so that, one day, we can offer them."
That's the conversation I'm aiming for. I hope others who feel the same way will join in.
--g
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