Re: Discuss-gnustep Digest, Vol 87, Issue 24

[J. Jordan]

Gregory

> Glade is an application, not GTK in it's entirety...  Xcode is an IDE,
> not Cocoa in it's entirety... :)

umm.. that was MY point.  :)


> If we become a "Desktop" then the impression becomes that our apps
> will not be useful on anything other than *OUR* desktop or that they
> won't blend with other desktops.
>
> What would you suggest we do to address this concern?

Gnome and KDE do not seem to worry too much about assuring people that 
their applications will be useful on other desktops and the only way 
Gnome/GTK apps blend with KDE is a special KDE produced theme which 
sort-of works.  I think that is far outweighed but the average users 
response of "what do I need a development environment for, I don't 
intend to write applications?"  Which means they completely miss out 
on all of the great stuff in GNUstep.

One spellchecker actually works across multiple applications in 
GNUstep (yeah, Gnome and KDE got that recently),  Speech Output 
actually works in GNUstep, Gnome and KDE can almost do that if you 
spend several days setting it up.  There are no system wide services 
in Gnome or KDE, no system-wide scripting.  PulseAudio works well with 
GNUstep so I can use my bluetooth headphones and multiple sound 
devices because GNUstep does not have any sound implementation 
screwing it up.

So yes, I think it should be marketed as a Desktop with admittedly 
some holes in it.  But the time is right, disaffection with KDE is 
growing, Gnome is stagnate and there is a renewed interest in 
alternatives.  Do a search for WindowMaker and look at some of the 
renewed interest, some of those sites have been quiet for years and 
suddenly they are coming to life again.   I think the time is perfect 
to get a supportive well written piece in _Linux Journal_ and I don't 
think that would be that difficult and would be great opportunity to 
start positioning GNUstep as the "Third Desktop"  even though it was 
in reality the First Desktop.  People are looking for an alternative 
"Desktop" but I don't think they are looking for an alternative 
"Development Environment."   I know it is semantics but semantics are 
very important  on initial contact.

Users become developers, developers write applications, applications 
attract users, users become developers ad infinitum.   And, the 
base/back/gui/make developers do most of the hard work and get most of 
the heartburn and very little of the credit.

-j