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  • From: Tanner Lovelace <lovelace AT wayfarer.org>
  • To: "Internetworkers: http://www.ibiblio.org/internetworkers/" <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: Users' responsibilities (was Re: [internetworkers] WalMart SunLinux)
  • Date: Wed, 07 Apr 2004 11:48:27 -0400

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




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