[ILUG] games.linux.ie

[Paul J Collins]

>>>>> "JC" == Jerry Connolly <jerry.connolly at eircom.net> writes:

    JC> Paul J Collins said the following on Fri, Feb 23, 2001 at 11:16:13PM +0000, 

    JC> The usefulness of the other architectures is not harmed in
    JC> that you can still do everything you could do before the
    JC> proprietry software release.

    >> That is exactly the wrong way to look at it.  If everyone
    >> thought like that, Linux would never have moved beyond being a
    >> tool for Linus to learn the 386.
 
    JC> We're not talking about everyone, we're talking about
    JC> proprietry software producers. Their goals are not
    JC> necessarily the same as the open source developers.

Most decidely so.  Their goals are to make lots of money while
restricting users' freedom.

    JC> Do you think that being considered an appropriate platform for
    JC> serious software development is a bad thing for Linux?  I.e,
    JC> it should move beyond being a tool for Linus to learn the 386,
    JC> but not that far beyond?

Your use of the term "serious software development" to describe
production of proprietary software suggests that free software
developers are somehow *not*.  It is offensive.

Suggesting that becoming a platform for proprietary software
development is somewhow a progression is doubly so.

    >> If you think that Linux is about fewer crashes and that free
    >> software is about singing songs and holding hands, off with
    >> you.
    JC> If (as you seem to be suggesting), people should be relying on
    JC> waiting for a free alternative to a piece of proprietry
    JC> software, then I feel that I may as well be singing songs and
    JC> holding hands.

You are in good company.

-- 
Starving artists queue here.