GNOME as the default desktop (was Re: Fedora Board Meeting Minutes - 2010-12-06)

[Máirín Duffy]

On Wed, 2010-12-15 at 12:51 -0900, Jeff Spaleta wrote:
> And here is the crux of the issue. Look at it from an upstream
> project's perspective and their need to create a brand identity.  What
> if GNOME as a project _wants_ their desktop to look the same no matter
> who distributes it and want it to look different from other peer
> offerings?
> 
> Right now the branding needs of a distribution project and the
> branding needs of an upstream project are in conflict in our
> traditional approach. Your solution prioritizes the branding needs of
> the distribution and weakens the brand of the upstream project. Can we
> find a better solution than this?

What's the end goal? If everyone's end goal is world domination it's not
a solvable problem, is it? Free software's desktop experience is
fractured right now... cut vertically by distros, cut horizontally by
desktop environments. We decided on a kernel (well maybe the FSF would
disagree) but a desktop, being visual and more digestible, is easier to
argue over. We want free software to have a fighting chance against the
mainstream desktops, yet we all have our own pet project that we insist
should be the vehicle for it. 

~m