A task-centric desktop...

[Amedee Van Gasse]

On Mon, November 21, 2011 15:24, W. Scott Lockwood III wrote:

>> Please *top* quote on the list.
>
> When replying from my phone, I don't have a choice.

Perhaps you shouldn't reply from your phone if it is broken?

> When I do have a choice, I will quote as I like.

Of course you will.

Just so you know: people will like you more when you don't fudge your
message with the form in which it was sent. But you already know the
guidelines of the mailing list, because you have signed the Ubuntu Code of
Conduct, https://launchpad.net/~wsl3

>> I don't think Ubuntu /is/ being unresponsive.
>
> And I disagree.

I agree that you disagree.

>> Firstly, I think a lot of people are happily using Unity and not
> complaining. It's the ones who are whinging who are shouting and
>> being noticeable. Those using it are not shouting about it.
>
> Have you signed the Ubuntu code of conduct? Judging from the fact that
> you are accusing others of "whinging" and "shouting" I'm guessing not.

Indeed, Liam hasn't signed the CoC: https://launchpad.net/~lproven
But you have. Unfortunately I cannot see your actual signature, like you
can see my signature at https://launchpad.net/~amedee/+codesofconduct
That's suspicious! ;)

>> Firstly, GNOME 2 is dead. Gone. Fuggedaboutdit. It is no more. It has
> ceased to be. That is nothing to do with Ubuntu or Canonical;
>> blame the GNOME Project.
>
> That software progressed from version 2 to version 3 is not, in and of
> itself, an indication of the death of a product. I had no issue with the
> transition from Firefox 2 to Firefox 3 for example. So, I don't see this
> as even remotely relevant.

I think that Liam meant that Gnome 2 will die as soon as most people use
Gnome 3, just like Firefox 2 has died as soon as everyone switched to
Firefox 3.

>> Secondly, *why* did GNOME die?
>
> GNOME didn't die. They released a new version of their desktop.

I think that Liam meant that Gnome *2* died. Gnome 3 is alive and kicking.

>> You may not realise how much GNOME steals from the Microsoft Windows
> desktop - as does KDE, as does Xfce, as does LXDE - but it is a /lot./
>
> There is very little there that they in turn didn't steal from Apple and
> Xerox. You don't know very much about the history of GUI's do you? That
> surprises me, because based on your LinkedIn profile, I'd guess that
> you're only about 3 years older than I am.

I'm quite sure that Liam knows his computer history, however facts are
usually irrelevant when it comes to Microsoft's or Apple's patent troll
lawyers. :)

>> Compared to the non-Windows-influenced desktops (like ROX Desktop or
> GNUstep, which you may never have seen because no distro uses them by
> default),
>
> Please don't make assumptions about what I have and haven't seen. I've
> been at this a very long time. I remember when I (wrongly) thought that
> Linux was the shiny new toy that people would play with, but that real
> work would still happen on *BSD. :-)

Don't expect that everyone will check your Launchpad, LinkedIn, blog,...
before they send you a reply. OTOH Liam may have assumed a bit too much
about you, but I'm sure that he has already googled you by now.

>> *anything* with a taskbar and a hierarchical launch menu is a *direct
> ripoff* of Windows and all that design is patented.
>
> Which they in turn stole from others. Patents can (and should in this
> case) be invalidated. There is a dearth of prior art out there to show
> that they should never have been granted such a patent in the first
> place. B&N is fighting them right now on that, for example.

Can and should. Exactly.

>> Unity is more pleasant by far,
>
> An opinion that many more than you seem to think don't share.

Opinions are like the end of your gastrointestinal tract: everybody has
one (and they all stink).

> Again, I encourage you to read the Ubuntu code of conduct, and sign it.
> You're not doing yourself any favors by calling people names who have
> been doing this for a lot longer than most.

Yeah... but you signed it too, Scott. Although I cannot see your sign
date, why not?
Have you been respectful enough? Or did you get carried away? I'm just
asking.

-- 
Amedee