Date: Fri, 6 Aug 2004 10:46:45 -0600
From: "gkn" Subject: Re: Inappropriate content in Fedora Core 2
Will everyone please take this subject off the list as it has
gone too far to remain on the list. GROW UP PEOPLE,
... [ shout shout shout ] ...
REDHAT CORP. RESOURCES THAT THEY HAVE ALLOWED US TO USE FOR FREE!!!!!
I beg to differ. This has been my absolute favorite topic in the fedora-list to date, and not just for its entertainment value.
This discussion couldn't be more on topic.
It speaks to the heart and soul of Linux's future and our strategy as a community to promote its acceptance.
Rather than pitch Linux, Fedora or RH as a one-size-fits-all solution, remember that there are community segments, "tribes" if you will, with wildly different needs, all quite well met by Linux, and RH has led the way.
Family or personal desktop Media (including rendering, animation, music, yada yada) Corporate desktop Corporate server (and many subcategories) Public server
The discussion of appropriate content and protection of RedHat's professional image is vital to Linux's growth in the personal and corporate desktop segments and to the general perception of Linux as a first-class product. It is not about free speech or morals as such, it's about professionalism and polish.
This does not argue prima facie for the removal of such goofy gags. What matters is the discussion to define the public face of Linux, and RH/Fedora in particular. What is its identity? What is ours, as promoters of this product, not to say devot'es? Do we sacrifice the playful irreverent spirit of open source to gain respect? Do we abandon the emotionally arrested social ineptitude of the past to create a more useful O.S.?
It's a tempest in a teapot unless we seriously address how Linux, and Fedora / RH particularly, can significantly gain CPU space, perhaps ultimately dominate the O.S. world. We know it's better, why isn't it winning? Is it really the fault of jejune screensavers?
