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Shuttleworth: Reflections on Ubuntu, Canonical and the march to free software adoption

Posted Sep 14, 2010 22:56 UTC (Tue) by kragil (subscriber, #34373)
In reply to: Shuttleworth: Reflections on Ubuntu, Canonical and the march to free software adoption by jspaleta
Parent article: Shuttleworth: Reflections on Ubuntu, Canonical and the march to free software adoption

Hmm, I would agree that that is just your typical marketing "bending the truth" sort of thing.

My problem with all this UX talk is that Mark basically says that FOSS mostly sucks at user experience and that Canonical will do a lot better.
If you think that through that means that Canonical intends to build its own distinct UI and thus will essentially create a third major desktop environment besides Gnome and KDE (although it uses 90% Gnome under the hood)

All I can say is that at some point fragmentation is really bad and the paradox of choice is getting overwhelming. I really don't think Unity will unite Gnome and KDE under its hood (I really _really_ don't)

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FOSS UI and Combined Desktop Summits

Posted Sep 15, 2010 4:24 UTC (Wed) by sladen (subscriber, #27402) [Link]

FOSS UI experience doesn't suck
FOSS UI experience does suck

If the first is true, then great. If the second is true and somebody comes along and has a jolly good go at fixing it, then also great. Either way (I wouldn't want to pass judgement) the result is great and the users will get what they wanted

As for allegations of fragmentation, why not come along to the Combined 2011 Desktop Summit in Berlin, in a little under a year? Having ones' own identity (XFCE, KDE, or GNOME) does not mean having to insular.

FOSS UI and Combined Desktop Summits

Posted Sep 15, 2010 15:11 UTC (Wed) by Wol (guest, #4433) [Link]

I'll just add to this, I've been a long-time KDE user for yonks. I can't stand Gnome. Thing is, I have the *choice*!

I've also got a netbook with Linpus and Xfce (have I got that right?). No way do I want to put Ubuntu Remix on it because I DON'T WANT GNOME. But that's my *choice*, that's my *right*, and I DON'T have the right to force everybody else to like what I like.

That's fine by me. What I have noticed is that Canonical are focusing on their "papercut" campaign. What's the betting that a lot of the anti-canonical fervor is fuelled by Microsoft because they're scared the papercut campaign is actually WORKING! :-)

Cheers,
Wol

Shuttleworth: Reflections on Ubuntu, Canonical and the march to free software adoption

Posted Sep 15, 2010 12:12 UTC (Wed) by sorpigal (subscriber, #36106) [Link]

"If you think that through that means that Canonical intends to build its own distinct UI and thus will essentially create a third major desktop environment besides Gnome and KDE (although it uses 90% Gnome under the hood)."

I fail to see the problem, here. Fragmentation is sometimes unfortunate, but this is Free Software. It's not as if we can't steal the good bits. If their UI is better, good. If their UI sucks, or people are annoyed because it is abnormal, then people will use something else.

If it puts free software in the hands of more people then whatever they do is good. The only issue here is if Canonical's behavior seriously hurts the revenues of companies who more directly support free software, such as Red Hat. That's an issue but I hardly think market penetration is to the point where we need to start worrying about backstabbing our allies.