Re: GNUstep roadmap (was Re: [Suggestion] GNUstep-test for quality control)

[Chad Hardin]

On Tuesday, October 21, 2003, at 09:21 PM, Philip Mötteli wrote:

> Am Mittwoch, 22.10.03, um 08:51 Uhr (Europe/Zurich) schrieb Chad 
> Hardin:
> > Yes, but it's also a catch-22 situation.  Less people are going to be 
> > interested in improving GNUstep if there is no user base.
>
> With users, you mean non-developpers? I consider myself a user too. 
> I'm using the libraries.

Right, we are all users, really.  I mean the people who use the machine 
as a tool to do things like email, browser the web, etc.

> > If there is no user base, what is the point in improving GNUstep?
>
> So you mean people, who use programs written using Gnustep? Of course, 
> if nobody is using those programs why write them. And then of course, 
> why should there be any Gnustep at all. But when somebody writes a 
> program, using Gnustep, I think he intends having a user base for it. 
> Otherwise, he wouldn't write it. Not in KDE, nor using any other 
> library.

I see GNUstep a little differently than most of the GNUstep developers; 
I see it as a opportunity to create a desktop system which people will 
actually want to use, not be forced to.
We have KDE and GNOME, and although a lot of really admirable work has 
been put into them, the interface is still basically a Windows clone, 
in the UI sense.  I think most people do not like the Windows style Ui, 
but they feel that there is no other alternative.
i am seeing a relatively large move to OS X, because of it's UI.  I 
like OS X a lot and use it everyday, but the hardware is fairly 
expensive, which limits many people of the world to using: old versions 
of Windows, pirated newer copies of windows, or KDE and GNOME.  I think 
there is room for improvement in this arena and I would like to fill 
that gap with a GNUstep based Desktop OS.

> > Plus, users are not going to accept running ported OS X apps in KDE 
> > or GNOME.  The interfaces differ way too much....
>
> You're right, usually not (except, if he already put KDE in the Mac 
> like mode). But I think this is not the huge problem, for two reasons:
> 1. Do you remember the times, when you could create in NeXTs 
> InterfaceBuilder two different nibs? One for Windows and one for NeXT? 
> IB took care of most of the GUI differences for those two platforms. 
> Why don't use the same strategy for KDE and MOSX? It's anyway mostly 
> only the menues.

Interesting...


> 2. Many programs do not use AppKit. E. g. servers and Web-programs.

I know, there is a shortage of GNUstep apps, but you gotta admit that a 
LOT of progress has been made this year!

> > I think there is room to work on everything at the same time.
>
> I can't force people anyway. I know, that people either work with 
> Gnustep for the fun of it and then, they want to do something they 
> like, which is unfortunately apparently not a KDevelop-plugin or they 
> work with it for their job and then they will only implement, what is 
> needed for the task at hand.

I do it for fun too.  In real life I'm a Chinese linguist trying to 
finish my BS.  When that is done I can hopefully move in to the C.S. 
world (My programmer mind is not really good at being a linguist)

I'm creating SimplyGNUstep, but honestly now though, will that ever 
make me any money?  Probably not.  If it ever did though I would pump 
money back into the GNUstep project..but that's another topic....

> > I also think there is going to be much more interest in GNUstep in 
> > 2004.....
>
> You have me wondering… What are you thinking of?

i'm making SimplyGNUstep

Laters,

Chad


> Re
> Phil
>
>
>
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