goon's Journal: He is not the Messiah #39

Journal #39 where I`m stoned by the angry /. mob for questioning their beliefs. (I was prompted to reply after reading 'Torvalds Says, "Use KDE"'. This is a reprint of my journal article, Not the Messiah #39 with corrections.)

'... Brian: I'm not the Messiah! Will you please listen? I am not the Messiah, do you understand? Honestly!
Woman: Only the true Messiah denies His divinity! ...' [0]

The only statements Linus make that I listen to, or really care about is ones concerning the kernel.[1] Everything else I temper with the knowledge that Linus, like all of us have personal preferences. His prefereces are not mine. So while I might read about them, I certainly don't waste sleep over them.

'... I think it was, "Blessed are the cheesemakers." ...' [1]

But thats not to say we shouldn't question them. The Gnome Vs KDE debate has raged ever since KDE has used Qt. And for good reason. If we frame the debate slightly differently say with respect to freedom. You can see there is always going to be a clash between software having the latest functionality, usability and niceness with restrictions verses the freedom of doing anything you want, without restrictions. Even at the expense of functionality.

'..."He's not the messiah; he's a very naughty boy." ...' [2]

The error of choice, Linus makes (his own to make). Is that he wants the pragmatic solution to a problem. This is his strength in developing the kernel. It is also his weakness. If taken at a personal level there is nothing wrong with it.

'... He has given us... his shoe! ...' [3]

When you get the followers picking up their thongs and shouting in agreement and apeing their leader this a problem.

'... You've got to think for yourself! You are all individuals! ...' [4]

So say after me kiddies, You are all different! Make your own choice when it comes to desktops. Don't listen to Linus, Choose your own. He's not the messiah; he's a very naughty boy.

Reference

[0] Wikiquote, `Monty Python Life of Brian quotes:
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Monty_Python%27s_Life_of_Brian

[Accessed Wednesday, 14 December 2005]

[1] The Linux Kernel Archives, `Kernel HQ the origin of everything wrt the Linux Kernel. Where it is dicussed, disseminated to death. Where Linus really is the the Messiah sometimes & a naughty boy most of the times.`:
http://www.kernel.org

[Accessed Wednesday, 14 December 2005]

[2] Wikiquote, Life of Brian, Ibid.
[Accessed Wednesday, 14 December 2005]

[3] Wikiquote, Life of Brian, Ibid.
[Accessed Wednesday, 14 December 2005]

[4] Wikiquote, Life of Brian, Ibid.
[Accessed Wednesday, 14 December 2005]

Just be glad

[nizo]

Thankfully you didn't say "Jehovah". (Aayiieeeee the stones they hurt they hurt!!!!)

Re:Just be glad

[goon]

I have a preference for the sharp pointy ones and occasionally the round flat ones and certainly don`t need to buy a beard.

i install both

[stoolpigeon]

by the time i'm done installing everything i need to run the apps i want to use from both, it is just easiest to install the whole shebang for each. i default to kde on login and that is where i do most my work, but i flip back and forth from time to time. and that's on an old machine.

Re:i install both

[goon]

And that`s pretty much I do myself. Though I tend to use gnome because I tend to use gnome apps. Tell me, what`s the KDE file manager? Can you use it with gnome? Because gnome has totally stuffed Nautilus (dare I say UI nazis) to the point you have to open n number of windows every time you want to get to a file without having a command line in the file browser like in say Win2k.

Re:i install both

[nizo]

I use gnome, but it really doesn't matter what I use because about 90% of what I do is in an xterm on the command line. Who needs a file manager when you have ls? :-) I have heard a few of the people here mention they like the KDE filemanager better (can't even recall what it is, konqueror perhaps?) I have used konqueror now and then to surf (it is a file manager/browser all in one) and it seems to work just fine from gnome.

Re:i install both

[goon]

'... Yeah I tried that and used cat *.jpg but I still couldn`t choose which photograph was the best.

Sometimes gui actions require visual inspection and not CLI interaction. The problem I usually have is I take a whole stack of development photos, unload them from the camera, copy them to the linux box, choose the best photos to manipulate in gimp before I upload to flickr. Its one of those annoying *UI* things I need to do viewing the image.

Re:i install both

[nizo]

Yeah that would be the other pesky 10% for me :-) Though actually these days I surf quite a bit, so maybe it is more like 80% non-gui and 20% gui.