Does the Linux Desktop Innovate Too Much? (Datamation) [LWN.net]

Does the Linux Desktop Innovate Too Much? (Datamation)

Posted Jun 23, 2009 7:23 UTC (Tue) by dgm (subscriber, #49227)
In reply to: Does the Linux Desktop Innovate Too Much? (Datamation) by kragil
Parent article: Does the Linux Desktop Innovate Too Much? (Datamation)

I couldn't disagree more.

Software that's unfixable is to be avoided at all costs, even if it seems to work. There are a couple of reasons why:
- if it's unfixable, it's not working in fact. It's secretly eating your personal picture collection, and you will only realize too late.
- it will fail on Thursdays and Saturdays on certain phases of the moon, precisely the day you will need it the most. The only solution will be reinstall.
- it will allow your neighbor's kid to crack into your computer and store in his porno and virus collection.
- it will be full of quirks that will force you to do the strangest things just to get stuff done.

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Does the Linux Desktop Innovate Too Much? (Datamation)

Posted Jun 23, 2009 8:00 UTC (Tue) by kragil (guest, #34373) [Link]

Where do I say it should be unfixable??

I said the priority should be the working part. It should also be fixable (which all FOSS is in the end) but that shouldn't be the priority.

Interesting that people would argue with the statement that "Software should work"

Maybe there are deeper issues at work here...

Does the Linux Desktop Innovate Too Much? (Datamation)

Posted Jun 23, 2009 13:24 UTC (Tue) by dgm (subscriber, #49227) [Link]

>Where do I say it should be unfixable??

"Being easy to fix should only be a lower priority objective."

In my experience, "lower priority" means unimportant, and thus probably never addressed. It's a consequence of the limited availability of time and resources.

I was not arguing if software should work. Of course it should, otherwise what's the point of it? But, focusing on making things work at the expense of everything else has its perils. I merely tried to point that out.