Re: Lack of innovation

Pablo Vieira wrote:

> There's something that annoys me about Linux, and is the obsession 
> with Microsoft. You see that obsession in Linux forums, reminding me 
> of the times when all you could read in a Mac magazine was comparisons 
> to the PC (a big inferiority complex, I think). But what is worst with 
> Linux and did not happen that much in the fanatic-Mac times, is 
> about software design. IMHO I don't believe we need more clones of 
> Microsoft software but new inventions, urgently. When it comes to 
> email and PIM they'll point you to Evolution (Outlook clone). When it 
> comes to office productivity, they'll point you to OpenOffice.org (an 
> MS Office clone). I would say to those making big efforts in cloning 
> Microsoft that we already have Microsoft-designed things, and we need 
> an alternative, not a free copy.
>
I think that many Linux developers realize that Micro$oft
is engaged on an assault on the Linux community, and trying
to win over Windows users to Linux is the only way many
know how to fight back. To do this, people need to provide
Windows users with *some* of the features they had back in
Windows.

But you're right. We're not going to be able to give them
everything they had in Windows no matter how hard we try,
so it's important that we find a way to give them something
that they didn't have before that Bill Gates can't give
them without (at very least) opening up the Windows code.
--

>  
>
> I long for simplicity, better user interface design, less features 
> better organised. I also long for risky moves like the Next computer, 
> concepts like the one in ClarisWorks, and so many innovations the Mac 
> brought to us (and that Microsoft finally copied...). Since 
> programming for Linux is not about making money, what is keeping Linux 
> developers from innovate? Why do so many take the easy road of cloning 
> instead of creating some totally new concepts?
>
'Cause as you said, cloning is far easier than doing
something truly new.

If you post questions to a developer list on someting
that's truly new (as I did just the other day) they say
"why do we need yet another standard?" or something like
that.

And no matter how many weaknesses you can find in the
pre-existing standard, it still doesn't seem to be
enough to convince the ultra-conservative people that
it's time for something new.

I agree that when there's an established standard,
one should not come up with something new without
a very good reason, and even in such situations to
make things as backward-compatible as possible.
But some people are just so conservative that they
will never support anything new.
--

>  
>
> I follow very closely the Mozilla Firebird project which I find 
> innovative and well thought (with the right goals, at least). I was 
> surprised to read the other day that they develop first for Windows, 
> then the others.
>
>  
>
> Maybe I just hear stuff from the ones that speak louder and people 
> here can point me to truly innovative Linux software focusing 
> on humans (i.e. well thought user interfaces), ease of use, 
> simplicity, hidden power vs. visible featuritis, etc.
>
>  
>
> Regards
>
>  
>
> Pablo
>