On Mon, 24 May 2004 16:14:03 +0100
CHAPMAN - Ian Paul <i.p.chapman(a)tees.ac.uk> wrote:
On Mon, 2004-05-24 at 14:19, Sean Estabrooks wrote:
> Say you convert all those proprietary formats over to Linux, well then....
> why should anyone use Linux? They already work on Windows.
Perhaps because people want to keep using Linux? Whatever your views are
on open protocols and formats the reality is, there's plenty of
proprietary formats that are in common usage. It isn't always practical
to simply ignore them. I don't want to use Windows but I still NEED a
program capable of viewing word documents through no choice of my own.
It's not a question of one or the other but one of proportion.
There is an over emphasis on the view that the only way
to make Linux successful is to pander to current Windows
users. And in that loud and prevalent opinion the real
value of Linux is forgotten, or worse, never understood.
The Fedora project has the goal of providing only open
source and unencumbered technologies as one of
its explicit objectives. That makes this a good place
to refocus awareness, energy, debate, and development
on Open Source endeavors. There are lots of other places
to pursue the proprietary technologies which are much
less important to the ultimate success of Fedora (and IMHO
Linux).
Cheers,
Sean