Re: "Other/Proprietary License with Source"

> Well, ease of use doesn't necessarily mean a short learning curve.

Indeed. The author of one of the best books on vi, The Utlimate Guide to the
VI and EX Text Editors [Hewlett Packard, Benjamin Cummings], around writes
somewhere--I am recalling--and if I am not mistaken, that the first time he
has invoked vi ... out of curiosity, or something like that, he has then tried
for half an hour to quit the program, unsuccessfully [killed process]. (It has
happened to me too, by the way, I am consoled.) >:)

Similarly, if one would try Ion to get a *feeling*, and look a bit for
his entertainment and leisure, without being prepared [having done a bit
preliminary homework], he would be headed for a few surprises. Ion is not the
thing exactly for playing with the mouse around, and roll, and unroll, menus
to see how pretty garnishing has been implemented and how much fun it takes.

> If you want to be able to use something 'intuitively' from the word ...

And what should "intuitively" be?

Example: I am *illiterate* on using Windows (really) ... never have used KDE
or GNOME desktops [have used a P166 with 32MB and an ATI XPress 4MB till one
year and half ago], and since one month or two I am using--very rarely thank
god, and for reasons xyz alas--Firefox, perhaps the biggest piece of bloated
crap I have on my box [a decently fast, and well equipped notebook].

"intuitively." Uuuuh. And in the even more rare times I had to use a computer
from an Internet Cafe' [Windows formerly, now being replaced extensively with
Linux + KDE mostly], I had to kindly invite, and bring with me, someone to
help me doing things. (I am not disabled, no.)

In the series of the strange [a bit overboard, agreed] "anecdotes," here
there is another one: intuitively ... if you would have been blind since
birth, and would now, say thank surgery, have your sight reestablished--in
the mere physiological sense [neurons firing, etc.]--you would not be able
to see *anything* ... nothing that would help you, or be assimilable to
what we understand as seeing.

Why?! Because seeing is not at all intuitive as it may be believed, it's not
like turning a switch on or off. [A years' long process of learning--but at
the right period--is needed; exactly like with speaking ... compare with the
Mowgli shit, and the cases of humans that have grown with animal stories, and
which even can't walk properly; and the like] Alternatively, if you would
begin to read, say, Adorno's History of Philosophy, you would be confronted on
more general and broad thoughts and consideration on ... *intuit*.

> I've found ion's documentation a lot, lot better than most other WM's.

Agreed, beautiful. And the code is better still.

> But if people want to use ion, great. If not, who cares?

Disagree. Mostly because of *political* reasons ... but please, don't mistake
me for a FLOSS fan (I am more thinking, and shuddering at it, at [algebra
substitutions again] things such Reporters Sans Frontieres; at articles such
Enquete sur les reseaux d'influence etats-uniens: Quand la CIA financait les
intellectuels italiens^1; at google, etc. but never mind; also, in case it's
not clear, I find SICKENING *proprietary software*, but the true proprietary
one). And disagree because ... but let's see if a joke succeds where the scuba
divers don't:

from the *carabinieri* in Italy series [guessing you know the *reputation*
they have there as *smart guys*] of jokes:

    brains for sale ... for organ transplantation [let's say we can]

    brain              price [Euro] :)

    professor .......  100'000
    engineer ........   50'000
    teacher .........   20'000
    carabiniere .....  500'000

Okay, I don't ask you the obvious question, but give you the explanation
directly: surprise, the carabiniere's brain costs the most because it's
practically like new. (It has never used.) 8-)

Moral: people not using Ion is BAD.

Moreover: [borrowing from Adorno] epicurean-*philosophy* fails always. Soon
enough, you begin to become [I am abusing the language a bit, sorry] autistic,
solipsistic, and in the *mildest* of the cases, you start to interiorize self
censorship.

Anyway, I CARE--if people want to use Ion or not.

/Roy


     1. http://www.voltairenet.org/article157970.html

Enquete sur les reseaux d'influence etats-uniens: Quand la CIA financait les
intellectuels italiens

5 septembre 2008

par Federico Roberti | Rome (Italie) | Focus | Faisant suite � un article
que nous avions publie en 2003 � propos du financement des intellectuels
europeens durant la Guerre froide, Federico Roberti revient sur le cas precis
de l'intelligentsia italienne. Loin d'etre superflu, ce bref rappel historique
nous montre que les choses n'ont guere change et que les auteurs a la mode ne
sont souvent que des mercenaires de la plume.

-- 
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS  habis manis sepah dibuang--after the sweet
SSSSS . s l a c k w a r e  SSSSSS  part is finished and becomes tasteless,
SSSSS +------------ linux  SSSSSS  the cane is thrown away [when we only call
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS  our friends if we need help]