5 ms·

What will happen to GNOME if it does not successfully compete with the big dogs? Nothing. It does not compete with the big dogs now, has never done so, and - wh

by slurry 12y ago

What will happen to GNOME if it does not successfully compete with the big dogs? Nothing. It does not compete with the big dogs now, has never done so, and - whatever convergent multiplatforming it may do in the future - is unlikely ever to do so. And yet it is still a viable project. This isn't the beverage or toilet paper industry. Niche products - especially ones like GNOME that don't have to "sell" or turn a profit - have a demonstrated way of living on. There may be good arguments for what GNOME has been doing, but the need to compete (with largely imaginary competitors imho) is not one of them.

danford 12y ago
>the need to compete (with largely imaginary competitors imho) is not one of them. But it is though. If this is your philosophy I would love to see some of your crappy projects. Believe it or not, when you design an interface you're competing with the other people who are doing the same thing. I'm sorry you dislike GNOME, but your comment adds absolutely nothing to the discussion. If I was going to make a search engine I would make it with google in mind. If I was going to make a social network I would make it with facebook in mind. I don't care what twisted way you want to frame your argument, it's incorrect. GNOME 3 and Unity do compete with Microsoft whether you their competition is a real threat or not. Do you not think Apple competes with Microsoft? Do you not think internet explorer competes with chrome?
- GuiA 12y ago
  > Believe it or not, when you design an interface you're competing with the other people who are doing the same thing. Sure, and when you're designing a $100k sports car you're competing with the people who are designing a $20k utility truck. > If I was going to make a search engine I would make it with google in mind. If I was going to make a social network I would make it with facebook in mind. You'd probably make a shitty search engine/social network then. There is no reasonable way you could beat Facebook/Google at their own game by "having them in mind" as your main design rationale. There are millions of devices sold with Apple/MS software on them EVERY DAY. The goals these products have in mind (for Apple, for example, that includes converting users to stay in their ecosystem, use iTunes, iMessage, iCloud, etc.) have nothing to do with the problems KDE and Gnome aim to solve. Unless you're saying that the goal of Gnome/KDE is to displace that? Because if so, for the past 10 years, we have been FURTHER away from that goal every single year. There's a reason why LXDE and friends have been gaining in popularity. There is a demand for lightweight, straightforward environments that just work, even on super old hardware. Gnome and KDE are just relics of a very, very different past, and at this point their death is inexorable. Source: I am a former Gnome contributor.

by slurry 12y ago

danford 12y ago

>the need to compete (with largely imaginary competitors imho) is not one of them. But it is though. If this is your philosophy I would love to see some of your crappy projects. Believe it or not, when you design an interface you're competing with the other people who are doing the same thing. I'm sorry you dislike GNOME, but your comment adds absolutely nothing to the discussion. If I was going to make a search engine I would make it with google in mind. If I was going to make a social network I would make it with facebook in mind. I don't care what twisted way you want to frame your argument, it's incorrect. GNOME 3 and Unity do compete with Microsoft whether you their competition is a real threat or not. Do you not think Apple competes with Microsoft? Do you not think internet explorer competes with chrome?

GuiA 12y ago
> Believe it or not, when you design an interface you're competing with the other people who are doing the same thing. Sure, and when you're designing a $100k sports car you're competing with the people who are designing a $20k utility truck. > If I was going to make a search engine I would make it with google in mind. If I was going to make a social network I would make it with facebook in mind. You'd probably make a shitty search engine/social network then. There is no reasonable way you could beat Facebook/Google at their own game by "having them in mind" as your main design rationale. There are millions of devices sold with Apple/MS software on them EVERY DAY. The goals these products have in mind (for Apple, for example, that includes converting users to stay in their ecosystem, use iTunes, iMessage, iCloud, etc.) have nothing to do with the problems KDE and Gnome aim to solve. Unless you're saying that the goal of Gnome/KDE is to displace that? Because if so, for the past 10 years, we have been FURTHER away from that goal every single year. There's a reason why LXDE and friends have been gaining in popularity. There is a demand for lightweight, straightforward environments that just work, even on super old hardware. Gnome and KDE are just relics of a very, very different past, and at this point their death is inexorable. Source: I am a former Gnome contributor.