--Robert Scoble, former Microsoft evangelist
IN the Ubuntu Web site where ideas are being proposed, some appointed moderators were seen diverting people who raise concerns about Mono to bug reporting sections. But Jeff Enns makes the fair point that: "you are not describing a bug with mono. The forums would be a better place for discussion, not bug reports. Thank you." Tony Manco spotted this one yesterday.
“[P]eople who voice concerns about Mono are sent around in loops and their freedom of expression is hence compromised.”So basically, people who voice concerns about Mono are sent around in loops and their freedom of expression is hence compromised. It's the same in the forums and even in the mailing lists (although raising the issue more politely would not hurt). Thanks to Tony Manco for noticing and notifying about this. Those who express dissatisfaction with the inclusion of Mono by default* are treated as though they are enemies. But why? By whom?
A Microsoft-born company (well, created by former Microsoft employees**) that advances Mono further is now given a spot in OStatic. Their article is not about their advancement of Mono***, but it does show how Microsoft can intersect with channels of communication about Free/open source software.
Another one of our readers says that Miguel de Icaza "FUDS Google Chrome. He's concerned that it might violate the LGPL." Here is part of his message:
We are on a similar situation with Moonlight where we ended up distributing proprietary codecs for VC1 (also MPEG-LA licensed) instead of the open source ffmpeg.
Today our answer for those that want to use ffmpeg (and it is my personal choice as well, since I rather dogfood open source software) is to compile Moonlight from source code and use the ffmpeg code themselves instead of depending on proprietary codecs to be installed.
Comments
Aaron Fulkerson
2009-06-09 20:52:08
Thanks for the link-love on my post about Collaborative Networks (http://cli.gs/cn). I think you might also appreciate a post I wrote about enterprise open source at the MindTouch Blog: http://www.mindtouch.com/blog/2009/04/22/80-of-the-functionality-for-500-of-the-cost/
At MindTouch we employ what I think of as an open core business model. I write about this here: http://www.mindtouch.com/blog/2009/04/22/an-open-core-licensing-model/
I think you'll be pleased to know MindTouch saves a penguin for every upgrade of MindTouch core: http://ostatic.com/blog/upgrade-mindtouch-or-the-penguin-gets-it :-)
Finally, has it ever occurred to you that Mono could actually be subversive to the Microsoft business model and revenue generation? #justsayin
Needs Sunlight
2009-06-09 12:21:47
Roy Schestowitz
2009-06-09 12:30:25
Remember that Microsoft said that Silverlight is not available for GNU/Linux because of Novell's work. Regulators would have otherwise forced Microsoft to properly support GNU/Linux, so it's not as though Novell saved the day. It only keeps a proper (first-class and indemnified) port of Silverlight away.
Mackenzie
2009-06-09 13:22:34
Also: The general concensus on that Ubuntu mailing list thread is that there are currently no good, let alone BETTER, GTK replacements for those applications. If you want them to be replaced, write something worth replacing them with. Whinging doesn't cut it.
Roy Schestowitz
2009-06-09 13:32:28
Microsoft cannot distribute software for GNU/Linux and say "touch this and we'll sue you." If someone clones it, then it's another story. See the Moonlight covenant for details.
Mono applications being better is a fallacy. And by neglecting 'non-Mono' applications (through exposure to userbase) you guys are leading to self-fulfilling prophecies.
Mackenzie
2009-06-09 14:39:57
It is not a fallacy. Look at your Mono alternatives list. Do you honestly believe that GThumb can do everything (and more!) that F-Spot can do? I guess you took the TARDIS for a spin and grabbed some amazingly good version of GThumb that actually has features from 2015.
Roy Schestowitz
2009-06-09 14:54:28
I said the opposite. They can. Like Adobe Flash.
Bear in mind that Moonlight is not Silverlight. It's hardly intended to be on par in legal and technical terms.
I have never used F-Spot myself (I install kde-desktop on all my Ubuntu machines), but based on what I hear, F-Spot is not a leader in its league.
By the way, I don't know who Fink is. If rude messages/language are used when linking here, it's not to be attributed to me and I don't control this, either. And thanks for debating this, Mackenzie. It needs an open discussion because there are eternally unanswered questions and TomTomVFAT as precedence.
Like all of you folks, my goal is to spread GNU/Linux and I like Ubuntu. But I fear that you refuse to see obstacles simply because you don't want them to be obstacles. It neither about will nor faith; it's about the facts.
Chris
2009-06-11 13:02:10
This will never happen cause then those sad fuckers actually would have to do something productive instead of insulting other peoples work.
And we all know that's a no go for boy & his shills.
Juan Pablo Angamarca
2009-06-09 15:51:08
Roy Schestowitz
2009-06-09 16:27:46
He thanked me for information that I sent him last month regarding Moonlight. They are at least listening. For what it's worth, PJ from Groklaw also criticised that stance of Mark Shuttleworth (the context being Mono).
Juan Pablo Angamarca
2009-06-09 16:32:57
Roy Schestowitz
2009-06-09 16:42:47
DOUGman
2009-06-09 16:00:49
On another note, pun intended. I have have been using Basket Notepad for almost a year now and in my opinion it is very good.
http://basket.kde.org/
Roy Schestowitz
2009-06-09 16:31:58
eet
2009-06-10 13:19:22
Marcus Koze
2009-06-10 14:05:21
As far as i stand, you can take your slice of mono and go into your dark corner on your windoze machine & do whatever you want.
And to Ubuntu/Canonical... at least open up some discussion channels and talk about the issues... if so many worry about it, why not listen, as you always did ?
eet
2009-06-10 14:29:21
Well, do whatever you feel like, and good luck for your search of the last of that dying race - the mono-less distributions. You are part of a very vocal but nonetheless shrinking minority; bear your fate like a man and cut back a bit on the cursing-and-whining part.
Marcus Koze
2009-06-10 14:40:28
I didn't mean at all to say something like that ("According to you every programmer that doesn’t work on Linux is an MS-accolite, hm? ") , sorry if it sounds like so, told you about my not-so-good english.
Roy Bixler
2009-06-10 15:01:11
eet
2009-06-10 14:49:17
Marcus Koze
2009-06-10 18:10:15
Regarding my age, i'm not some next-door-kid, trust me. When i say slaves, i mean those companies that went into "agreements" with micromoft don't have their original identities anymore... instead playing blindingly according to the will of m$, from what i see...
Anyway, eet, in the end you're an advocate of mono, probably arguing with "productivity", i'm a guy protesting against it because... well, i've iterated my reasons above too many times ... let's see who's right (time will show us)
Roy Schestowitz
2009-06-10 18:18:52
A better description would be "protester against this Web site". It is best not to feed the trolls.