[gNewSense-users] Re: gNewSense group in launchpad

[Yavor Doganov]

At Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:28:24 +0100,
Sam Geeraerts wrote:
> 
> As Karl said, this doesn't replace the gNewSense bugtracking
> system. 

No, but it sets a bad example.  If the community around gNewSense
doesn't care about such issues, who will?

> Also, anyone is free to use Launchpad if he wishes to do so and
> there is nothing gNewSense can do about that.

Sure.  The problem is that the developer body sets it as official or
semi-official practice (at least it sounds that way -- of course one
can find many workarounds and PR-fu to "present" it in a better light,
just like Debian does for the "non-free" and "contrib" sections.)

> 1. Do not use LP and ask anyone who does so in the name of gNewSense to 
> stop doing it. 

An appeal not to use proprietary software can never be a bad thing.

> 2. Let people use LP, 

Nobody can prevent people using LP, the question is not to advertise
or recommend it. 

> but ask them to have some kind of disclaimer text 

That won't work, I think.  The solution is to file bugs via snail mail
to Canonical's office.  It may help them rethink the status of their
software.

> In the long term it might be good to keep in touch with the
> Launchpad developers to know why it hasn't been opened up yet,

The reason why attractive web-based software like Launchpad is
non-free is crystal clear.  What is happening in the software field
now is exactly what happened in the late 70's and the 80's -- the
history is repeating itself but only a few people can sense it.

My observation is that young people are typically helpless as computer
users without a browser and a clicking device.  They are as dependent
on web-programs (widely known as "services") such as Gmail, Gcalendar,
Gfoo, Gbar, Gtube, ICQ, MSN, Launchpad, etc. as their fathers and
grandfathers where once upon a time dependent on non-free programs and
OSes, not so long time ago.

As long as these programs, as estimated by many observants of the
computing world, are the "future" (for good or bad), they will remain
proprietary unless there is resistence and detemrination from *users*
to eliminate this unfortunate and unacceptable dependency.

Rejecting to use Launchpad is one way of achieving this, it is a very
small step -- following certain principles by resisting the
temptation.  I often hear excuses like "It is the only way", "It's a
necessary evil if you want contribute to Ubuntu", etc.  Don't
contribute to Ubuntu then, choose another distribution that doesn't
force you to face such a dillema.