Man, has this guy got it all wrong! IMHO

[MoonRise]

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/opensource/?p=1093

The one thing that hit me was that he concentrates to much on the widgets. He evidently hasn't used KDE4.3.2 and hasn't tried using the OS past playing around with widgets. Sad, though I guess I'm not helping by spreading his blog. But how can you write something without really digging into the guts of what truly went into this? I really can't agree with an OS being web centric. For one, my life with computers doesn't revolve around the web and I personally think that path is a load of crap and hype to garner more services to sell to certain users of which I'm not. To say that web centric OS is even remotely ground breaking and/or revolutionary is laughable. Guess what? There is still an underlying kernel that has to drive everything. The true OS.

[Qqmike]

Re: Man, has this guy got it all wrong! IMHO

Without taking sides (although I do have my preference for KDE), and thus leaving the "what" up in the air, I can address the "how." How will people ultimately choose and perhaps determine what prevails for KDE? Not by logical, rational analysis of fine, perhaps even subtle, technical points. Never that way. People choose according to what feels good; they choose based on their emotions (which derive largely from their perceptions).

There sure is a lot of analysis going on about the KDE business. Lots of words floating around. Ultimately, none of it counts. Ultimately, what feels good is all that counts. True in any free market activity.

[sithlord48]

Re: Man, has this guy got it all wrong! IMHO

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/opensource/?p=1093

The one thing that hit me was that he concentrates to much on the widgets. He evidently hasn't used KDE4.3.2 and hasn't tried using the OS past playing around with widgets.

i get the same impression.

[Ole Juul]

Re: Man, has this guy got it all wrong! IMHO

From the article:

It’s all about connectivity, social medium, instant access to everything…all wrapped into a snappy, user-friendly package.

Well, I got all those things when I got my first 2400 baud modem. We've all had those things since the early 90s. To me that is unrelated to the user interface or the mythical "desktop". The world changes, and some of us make our own choices while others are not comfortable with that. What he is talking about is personal limitations. I've had my share of those too, but I wouldn't blame KDE.

[MoonRise]

Re: Man, has this guy got it all wrong! IMHO

Goes back to what Q said above. I agree, there seems to be some confusion as to "Instant" access. We've all had that since the 90's. If you want to click on an icon to get to the web instantly, then place an icon on the desktop or quick launch. Really, I think people are just getting lazier and "think" that when the DT comes up already a web browser they are "on". Same underlying issues with hardware will still be there. Network configurations and hardware will still be there. Again, Q is right, what feels good to the user and that is OK, just don't try to force a paradigm OS idea on me that I really don't agree with.

[blobfish]

Re: Man, has this guy got it all wrong! IMHO

For one, my life with computers doesn't revolve around the web and I personally think that path is a load of crap and hype to garner more services to sell to certain users of which I'm not.

I have been saying this for several years and I am glad to here others. I agree, this is all about turning the computer into the next generation of tv. How long will it be, with a web OS, to where we have 5 minute commercial interruptions every 10 to 15 minutes? It will be a cold day in hell when my computer is a medium for me to watch viagra commercials.

[Ole Juul]

Re: Man, has this guy got it all wrong! IMHO

The "snappy, user-friendly package" that is supposed to give you access to the world of communication with other people and other computers was, in the 90's, the humble terminal program. The paradigm keeps changing but Fidonet had the same fundamental result and there's still some BBSs out there. The difference between interfaces is driven by fashion and/or commercial interests. No interface is inherently intuitive except in as much as it uses vocabulary that we already know - english (or any other native language) is a good start. We don't need a new Google terminal program any more than we have needed anything else that has come around touting a "user-friendly package" and a fresh assortment of pictographs. If you like it fine, but I don't need to be sold anything. I gave at the office - try next door. Yes, like tanderson implied, this is about commercialism. In that respect Fido was way ahead, and with all the forces trying to take over people's personal computers these days, it might get a second chance.