Re: Desktop NetBSD needs your help

[der Mouse <mouse%Rodents-Montreal.ORG@localhost>]

> This sounds like an excellent idea.

I disagree, actually.  It strikes me as trying to turn NetBSD into yet
another mass-market "desktop experience" operating system - trying to
beat Linux at their own game.  I believe NetBSD doesn't have the
resources to do more than be stuck forever playing catch-up at that;
we're already constantly playing catch-up for lack of resources on many
more fundamental questions, such as hardware support.  I also can't see
that we either have or will have anything to distinguish us from them,
no answers to the "so why should I install yours rather than theirs?"
question.  I think we'd be better off focusing on what we do
differently and well than on trying to join the UI monoculture of
Windows clones.  The user experience ad writes of actually isn't
"poor", except to the extent that different is poor; we aren't a
Windows/Mac/Linux clone and I think it's a mistake to try to even look
like one, much less turn into one.

But, of course, it's a volunteer project, and ad specifically said he
wasn't interested in debating the "whether" of it, so dissuading him
from haring off after this would be wasting both his time and mine.

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