Yep, even if your data arrives ahead of the stream your program will be considered a putz if its output isn't displayed instantanously!

That really is the only question that need to be answered. Prove to the shareholders that it will, and they will support it.

Good for you! But how does that benefit me?

No. Though we are a small market we are still nontheless important. Until nVidia enables open source purists like me to get at least 50% performance out of their hardware I'll be recommending their GPUs be avoided.

Fair enough, but why focus on small screens first? Wouldn't it be more logical to concentrate on ensuring that those writing Gnome applications have a nice, usable interface first?

So can we make a general rule then, such as when using a small screened device use Gnome3 and when using a normal screened device use something else? Seriously, people have real work to get done and don't have time to waste experimenting with flavor of the month UIs.

That depends on how you define "evil", I suppose. Asking for phone numbers and forcing interface on those who don't want them are pretty "evil" in my book. Is anyone else sick and tired of seeing "Gmail's getting a new look soon."? I mean really, where in the hell is the "I just want to check my email and don't want a new look" option?

Which do you think is stronger, the provider who keeps customers by locking them in or the provider who keeps customers by providing superior service? Which is the better customers, those who stay with you because they are trapped or those who stay with you because they like you?

Scarier to me are the government mandated witch hunts that you say are necessary.

Since it's the witchunters who determine who the witches are I will mostly be one of those labeled. Why? Because I have a firm belief that the founders chose the order of the words "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" for a very good reason. You can't have liberty if you are not alive, and you can't pursure happiness if you aren't free to do so. Logically then the number one focus of government must be to ensure that everyone all that is necessary to live. The prevelant view in the US today is more "I've gots to get mine and screw you if you didn't get yours!"