Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/

[Tanner Lovelace <lovelace AT wayfarer.org>]

Bill Geschwind said the following on 4/7/04 11:43 AM:

> I fully agree that there is nothing wrong with people writing software
> for themselves to do what they want it to do. If you write software to
> meet your own needs, then more power to you. 
>
> This whole thread started with an announcement that WalMart was going to
> start/already is selling computers with Linux on them. If that is not an
> attempt to put OSS in the hands of mainstream users, then I don't know
> what is. Maybe not all OSS developers, or for all I know not even the
> majority of them, are interested in making the leap of putting Linux in
> the hands of mainstream users, but apparently some of them are, namely
> the ones who are putting this version of Linux on those machines to be
> sold by WalMart. Whether those people are "developers" or whether any
> "developers" are involved in that effort may be open to semantics. My
> contention, based on my personal experiences with Linux is that with the
> current state of Linux that the people supporting those machines sold by
> WalMart will have a bunch of whiney, unsatisfied customers on their
> hands, who will neither have the skills, patience or inclination to help
> themselves by modifying the software on their machines to match their
> needs.

1. The people putting it on there aren't developers, it's Wal-Mart.
2. The system in question is actually written by sun, so it's entirely
   possible that they have an incentive to make it user friendly.
3. I don't think it matters though because the people buying the
   computers aren't likely to be people who have used computers before.
   See Maria's post for more information on that.

Cheers,
Tanner

--
Tanner Lovelace       | Don't move! Or I'll fill ya full of... little
lovelace AT wayfarer.org | yellow bolts of light! - Commander John Crichton