[PD-dev] call for discussion: native video for Pd

[Hans-Christoph Steiner]

On Jun 3, 2006, at 4:54 PM, Julian Oliver wrote:

> ..on Sat, Jun 03, 2006 at 02:21:47PM +0200, Hans-Christoph Steiner  
> wrote:
>>
>> On Jun 3, 2006, at 3:27 AM, Yves Degoyon wrote:
>>
>>> ola,
>>>
>>>> Speaking  of, how about releasing that PDP port for Windows?
>>>>
>>>> .
>>>
>>> please no.. thank you.
>>>
>>> sevy
>>
>> That's where we have differing opinions on free software.  I think
>> that free software should be totally free, and I think that the more
>> free software is available for Windows, the more we chip away at
>> Microsoft.  Plus, now there is ReactOS, which is a free Windows.
>>
>
> if only it were that simple ;)
>
> i'm not *ideologically opposed* to Windows ports of Linux software,  
> so much as
> disappointed whenever it occurs.
>
> porting software to a platform is supporting that platform - you're  
> affirming
> that the port target, in this case Windows, is deserving of the  
> software.
> you're also widening the possible user base on that platform,  
> enriching it
> and increasing the possibility of user investment.
>
> to say it's 'chipping away at microsoft' is stretching it a bit i  
> think, 'Jitter' perhaps.
> i know several artists that have installed Linux to run PDP,  
> something they
> seem to be pretty happy about now.
>
> some say ports of popular mail clients and office software may make  
> sense
> in that the user becomes familiar with software that will run on a  
> non-proprietary
> platform, making it easier for them to switch later. this may work in
> the 'Enterprise' where cost-cutting is the primary drive to the  
> adoption
> of a free OS and application criteria is not especially diverse.
>
> in the case of multimedia applications, i have yet to see that  
> hypothesis pay off.
> where digital artists are concerned many seem to prioritise  
> application diversity
> over anything else. because there is a *comparitive* lack of  
> multimedia software on Linux
> (though more than enough for me) many cling to proprietary  
> platforms like Windows and OSX,
> chosing to mix proprietary multimedia applications (they've usually  
> stolen) with those of free software.
> so, because Linux has less 'artists', less software is made only  
> for Linux,
> and so less artists use it and commit to free-software as a whole.  
> chicken meet egg..

I think you overlook an aspect of free software that is important to  
me: the freedom to choose which software you want to use.  Who I am  
to tell anyone they should not use a given software?  Some people  
like Windows so much that they are making a free version of it:  
http://reactos.org  More power to them.

I am a long time, staunch advocate of free software, but I have to  
say that I am not a big fan of GNU/Linux.  When you have Linus  
Torvalds dissing GNOME because they are trying to make software that  
is usable for non-hackers, that is really what stops people from  
using GNU/Linux.  That attitude, and those design ideas keep GNU/ 
Linux to a small audience.  There is no problem there, there should  
be choice.  What about FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Darwin, ReactOS,  
Plan9, FreeDOS, xMach, OpenSolaris, etc.?

.hc

________________________________________________________________________ 
____

  As we enjoy great advantages from inventions of others, we should  
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;  
and this we should do freely and generously.
                                                   - Benjamin Franklin