Public SourceMage Discussion List

[Eric Schabell <eschabell AT sourcemage.org>]

On Mon, Apr 26, 2004 at 01:34:05AM +0200, Jaanus Heeringson wrote:
> So I'm at it again, burning the midnight oil.
> 
> I have recently read a lot of different articles about Linux in general 
> to try and get a grip on the "feel" out there, and this is some things i 
> found out:
> 
I have been around since before SMGL existed, so will try to say a few
things inbetween here and you can take them for what you think they are
worth:

> 3. A lot of the intermediate users are very tired of choise. They simply 
> don't want to research at every corner to install the appropriate stuff 
> (which MTA, DNS etc) and are asking for a "preferred setup". This maby 
> don't concern us yet, but it might in the future.
> 
A basic right we have always tried to keep in Source Mage is that it is
about choice. Whenever we were confronted with a point in development
(spell creation, sorcery defaults) we tried to make the choice be set by
the admin installing our distro. Of course we have some profile spells,
but they are minimal and I hope they stay that way.

> My gut feeling is that in order to get some attention we will have to 
> compete with Gentoo to get it, and since they actually are a for profit 
> company, it will be quite a task. In my opinion we need to find a couple 
> of point on how we differentiate us from Gentoo in a good way.
> 
We have never been interested in topping Gentoo (at least I never saw
that as a mission statement while I was PL)... I would rather aim our
distro as far away from their targets, ideas and behavioural pattern as
possible. 

This does not mean we can't do this marketing push, but I hope that
there will be much thought given to what we really are about (shame to
lose our identity if you ask me). I realize that this is what you are
now attempting to do, I just see the focus being a bit too much with
Gentoo and not enough on what we are about.

I don't mean any sort of flame about your work, it is definatly a start.
You made me think and respond so that is good! ;-) I may also be alone
or in the minority with my opinions, but I toss them out there for
discussion and as input into your process. 

Carry on and I watch here from the sidelines with eager eyes,

erics
-- 
Eric D. Schabell M.Sc. - Developer - http://www.sourcemage.org
irc: irc.freenode.net (#sourcemage), nick -> erics

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