not all change is progress
November 29, 2015
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0:02:42 News
0:47:27 Over a Pint
Is desktop Linux boring? And would it be such a bad thing if it was? We settle down over a pint to discuss this later in the show. Before that, we’ve a packed news section that touches more bases than Charlie Sheen.
0:02:42 News
Tough times for Jolla
Open
letter to Jolla community: through the tough times
Trouble on Kickstarter as two massive projects hit the rocks
Linux-Powered C.H.I.P. Tiny SBC Will be the World’s First $8
Computer
Raspberry
Pi Zero: the $5 Computer
A Tour of the Pi Zero
Raspberry
Pi Zero — Power Measurements
30 years of Windows: 10 milestones that changed the face of
computing
Microsoft Fails to Deliver Tool for Bringing Android Apps to
Windows
Microsoft makes Raspberry Pi its preferred IoT dev
board
Google Releases Brillo Source Code
Google Play Store in 2016 will tell you whether any app has
ads
Teens can’t tell the difference between Google ads and search
results
Google App Streaming: A Big Move In Building “The Web Of Apps”
Ubuntu Desktop with Unity 8 to Handle Background Apps and
File Access Differently
If it’s not
practical to redistribute free software, it’s not free
software in practice
Software
Freedom needs your help
Mozilla annual report shows risky Google dependency now risky
Yahoo! dependency
WordPress.com Gets a New Face and Joins the JavaScript
Age
NodeOS nears 1.0 in its quest for a 100% JavaScript OS
0:47:27 Over a Pint
Is desktop Linux boring? If so, is it a good thing that it’s boring?
It doesn’t matter whether you like new and flashy interfaces like Unity or tried and tested ones like MATE, Xfce, LXDE or Cinnamon; they are all mature at this point and do what they do (reasonably) well. Even a new user can be up and running after a rainy afternoon’s research and tinkering. There’s very little challenge unless you specifically go looking for one with Arch or Gentoo.
Your Luddites chewed over whether this is an idea that the FOSS community should be actively promoting, or whether we should be chasing new and exciting things like convergence?
Speaking of boring desktops and the desire for something new (even if it’s old). I can’t imagine that you guys aren’t aware of the new Enlightenment project. These are people much like yourselves in that they think the old ways just might be the best ways. If you like the way Linux desktops used to work, Enlightenment 20 (just released) is out to prove you right and like Enlightenment 16 it gives you total control over your desktop. It even crashes now and then!
I have just had a quick read through the Kickstarter starting a project docs. Although they do suggest setting a budget, there seems to be no obligation on projects to either provide an initial budget that is visible to the public, or provide any financial statement once the project is funded and underway.
This seems to be a major opportunity for fraud, particularly on larger projects. I can just imagine my bank’s response if I tried to borrow £100,000 without providing these basic items of information. I suspect I have missed something obvious, or do people treat Kickstarter donations a bit like chucking money into a wishing well?
Regarding your Mozilla discussion — I was a little surprised you asked if Yahoo would want to renew the contract when it comes up for renewal in a few years. Isn’t the more relevant question whether or not Yahoo will still be around by the time the contract expires? I’m not sure what Mozilla’s backup plan would be if they can’t crawl back to Google.
Also, the Pocket integration annoys me greatly but I take Mozilla at its word when it says that it added Pocket support for the benefit of its users and that it does not receive any money from Pocket.
Regarding Jesse’s point about it being okay for Firefox to lose market share if it maintains its user count — this isn’t really acceptable for Mozilla because their stated mission is “to promote openness, innovation & opportunity on the Web.” The less relevant Firefox is as a browser, the less clout Mozilla has to push for what it wants for web standards.
I look forward to hearing your eulogy for Firefox OS on the next show.
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