Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 13:41:27 -0700 From: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@time.cdrom.com> To: jack <jack@diamond.xtalwind.net> Cc: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Price of FreeBSD (was On Holy Wars...) Message-ID: <5354.861482487@time.cdrom.com> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Sat, 19 Apr 1997 14:29:23 EDT." <Pine.BSF.3.96.970419141731.13657B-100000@zeus.xtalwind.net>
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> By `fancy setup and configuration tools' I sure hope you don't mean NT's > install that blew up on us probing an Adaptec 1542. We tried to let it No, of course not. That would be deliberate stupidity and I'm not talking about anything like that. Also, the UNIX traditionalists should please bear in mind that such an interface would NOT BE DESIGNED FOR THEM. The tragedy of UNIX is that the propeller-heads typically design the interfaces according to _their_ specifications and desires, and every time you show them a Windows or Mac desktop they make all sorts of appropriate vomiting noises and claim that they'd take death by violent sodomy over such a system, strongly opposing any and all such initiatives with every atom of their bodies. It all just totally misses the point, which is that *we're not talking about their needs* when we bring up the idea of an all-singing, all-dancing GUI-based administration system, nor is such a system meant to REPLACE anything about the current CLI based approach. It's the #1 straw-man argument every time this comes up that "anyone wishing to dumb-down UNIX and replace its hallowed, cherished interfaces with a GUI should be shot" despite the fact that the proponents have never even remotely suggest *replacing* anything, and such a system would be a wholly optional add-on. However, no matter how clear the advocates may make this, it just doesn't matter - mention the very concept and it's Fear And Loathing time, rumors of the imminent arrival of apocalyptic horsemen and the minions of Gates being fiercely debated in every mailing list. SIGH! :-) Jordan
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