Lisi wrote:

> I was at a local LUG meeting today and was very distressed that the above view 
> should be expressed, and forcefully.  I found it distressing because that is 
> quite some allegation - that we and Mate users and Cinnamon users etc., (all 
> splinter groups) are actually damaging Linux, doing it harm.  

When Linus Torvalds comes out publicly and states that he is moving to Windows 
because people are using the wrong desktop environment, that is when I will 
give credence to the above ignorant, arrogant opinion.

I have worked for a company doing Linux consultancy for 10+ years, and we have 
spent vast amounts of time and effort evangelizing for Linux to the business 
community and government. I would say that, of all the reasons why people 
stick to Windows and don't migrate to Linux, "too many competing desktop 
environments" is about #87, just below "don't know whether to call it 
LINE-UCKS or LIN-EX" and "My astrologer told me never to use a computer 
program starting with L".


> The fact that we are free to digress and disagree is why I like open source so 
> much.  Take away that freedom and we might as well all use Windows.  It 
> seemed to me a quite extraordinary allegation.  And as I say, I found it 
> personally upsetting.

Please excuse my language, but opinions are like arseholes -- everyone has got 
one, but not everyone should expose theirs in public.

I would pay no attention to a bunch of ignorant people, especially since they 
are not in a position to do anything except yack-yack-yack. But if you insist 
in arguing with them, I suggest that you tell them that you agree that there 
are too many desktop environments. Thank them for their tireless work in 
decreasing the amount of software freedom, and ask them to come back and 
report once they have got KDE 4, Gnome 3 and Unity closed down. Ratpoison for 
everyone!

http://www.linuxgoodies.com/review_rat.html



-- 
Steven