Re: [tlug] Dvorak on Microsoft, Innovation, and Linux

["Jim O'Connell" <oconnell@example.com>]

On Wednesday, January 8, 2003, at 04:14  PM, Charles Muller wrote:
>
>
> His basic argument seems to be that developments on Linux are too 
> heavily
> influenced by prior Windows models, and thus there is a lack of 
> creativity.
>
> Chuck

I hate articles like that.
Apparently, the guy cannot see beyond a pretty KDE or Gnome interface.
(Is he actually saying that Creeping Features are a necessary thing??)

Sure, there are a lot of needless little Windows-app clones, but there 
is no pressing need for anyone to install or use them.  There are also 
lots of developers writing them and setting them free in the world in 
the hopes that someone else finds them of use.  Why not?
Is that a bad thing?  After all, most of them are free.

I guess it's unlikely that a guy like him is going to 'get it' though.  
For instance, take an app like that CD burner - (xcdroast ?) All that 
it is is a GUI front end that drives the command line utilities, where 
the true power lies.  Really, the GUI is just an afterthought.
GUIs are fine, if you never do anything beyond what the developers 
intended.  For me, that doesn't work.  I need to be able to dig into 
things a bit more now and then.

For instance, Sylpheed might look a bit like Outlook Express, even 
steal a feature here and there, but that's where the similarities end 
for me.  OE uses some kind of binary file for storing messages.  
Sylpheed uses a simple MH text mail format.  I can easily load up any 
message in any text editor I like and do stuff.  I can mess with it 
with perl, I can grep to my heart's content.  I can even archive my 
messages anywhere I like or switch to a different mail program.  To 
someone like Dvorak, all he might see is that it ignores HTML and 
refuses to autoexecute attachments.  (Fine with me on both counts.)

Imagine he was talking about cars instead of operating systems - he 
can't seem to get past the paint color choices and the placement of the 
cup holders. (Engine? Transmission? Brakes? Who cares? The user can't 
actually *see* those things!)

Frankly, I'm more interested in stripping things *out* of the distros I 
use than adding things...

Probably preaching to the choir,
Jim