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List:       koffice
Subject:    Re: Question about your KPresenter's review
From:       Jono Bacon <jonobacon_lists () yahoo ! co ! uk>
Date:       2002-02-10 4:33:17
[Download RAW message or body]

On Sunday 10 February 2002 3:08 am, Eric S. Raymond wrote:
> Navindra Umanee <navindra@cs.mcgill.ca>:
> > As far as I know, kab is being replaced by kabc which uses the
> > RFC-defined VCard format by default, and has a kab->kabc db convertor
> > included.  See here for details:
> >
> > http://webcvs.kde.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/kdelibs/kabc/
>
> That's good news.
>
> > By desktop battle, I take it you are referring to the competition
> > between KDE and the likes of GNOME, Microsoft, and Apple?  Other than
> > what you've mentioned, what kind of strategy do you propose for KDE
> > winning the desktop battle?
>
> Pay attention to users.  End users.  *Real* users.

Hi Eric,

When you say *real* users, what exactly do you mean? I am well aware that many 
programmers have no clue on the typical characteristics of a typical user - 
and do we assume that a typical KDE user is a programmer, an administrator, a 
toilet cleaner?

I think that most KDE hackers have an idea of the users - that is why KDE is 
percieved as being one of the easiest desktop's for UNIX. Add to this an 
integrated design with address books, parts, actions and media, you have a 
mostly quite usable experience for the *real* user.

What will win the desktop battle is real software that let's a user get their 
work done - but this can only happen with support and constructive 
suggestions. Part of this project is KOffice, and although KOffice is a 
maturing suite...it is making the right moves in the right direction.

What is important is constructive suggestions to encourage developers to 
continue working on improving the software - "If you think you can win the 
desktop battle this way, you are smoking crack." - I am sorry, but this is 
NOT constructive and I deem it insulting.  I would have thought you of all 
people would understand this as being an unadvisable remark.

We like advice and suggestions like any other project...but please take your 
words into consideration before you hit the reply button. :)

	Jono



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