[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
My own idea of the web page
Well I wasn't too happy about the corrections to the web page. The
first I found it too agressive towards Unix, the second far too
consensual. Perhaps it is too much hearing Marseillaise (usual here
in France :-) whose words are pretty strong but I wanted something
with more punch and more revolt
What I want to express is that there is nothing wrong in Unix like
there is nothing wrong in wearing frogmen flippers when you are
swimmng but the problem is what happens when you exit water and have
to walk. My idea is that part of the Linux users are no longer in the
same environment Unix was born, they are out of water and we are still
providing them flippers.
I think the text below is reasonable compromise giving enough punch
without too much bashing. Perhaps it si abit clumsy when
transitionning between the exemples of what is going wrong and why we
make Indy. Also the part where I speak about syadmins and real work
could be clarified and told in more diplomatic terms. What I wanted
to say is that having a situation like configuring mail server needs
reading a one thousand page book is only feasible if you are a full
time system administrator and this is only possible if you are in a
big organization where while you read there are other people will
spend their time making money for the company the end result being
that the overall system adminstration overhead for the company is
small. But if you consider a doctor (not one in a hospital but one
with private clienthood) then it is obvious that if has to read huge
books just for one of the aspects of operating his computer he will
end being unable to do his main job of healing his patients. And that
is what makes Linux different: because its price does not keep it out
of households and very small companies it can get users who can't
accept a huge computer-learning overhead.
============================= BEGIN ======================================
<HEAD>
<LINK REL="stylesheet" HREF="/config/independence.css" TYPE="text/css">
</HEAD>
<TABLE CELLPADDING=20><TR><TD BGCOLOR="#CCCCCC" WIDTH=20% VALIGN="TOP">
<STRONG>
<A HREF="/index.shtml">Home</A>
<A HREF="/distribution/">Distribution</A>
<A HREF="/developers/index.shtml">Developers</A>
<!-- <A HREF="/software/index.shtml">Software Repository</A> --><NOBR><A
HREF="/thinklinux.shtml">Think Linux!</A></NOBR>
<NOBR><A HREF="/subscribing/index.shtml">Mailing List</A></NOBR>
<!-- <A HREF="/sitemap/index.shtml">Site Map</A> --><A
HREF="/bookmarks.shtml">Bookmarks</A>
</STRONG> </TD><TD><TABLE WIDTH=100% CELLSPACING=0 BORDER=0 ><TR><TD>[Unable
to display image]</TD><TD ALIGN=CENTER>
</TD></TR></TABLE>
<H2>Why Independence?</H2>
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE>Independence project: Linux for the masses</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY>
<h1>Independence Linux: The user's revolt</h1>
<p>We want Linux to become <STRONG>the</STRONG> dominant oparating
system. But this will not happen if Linux remains a system for an
elite, it will not happen if Linux follows the steps of a system
(Unix) who never made significant inroads in two vital areas: the
desktop and the personal computer.</p>
<h2>A distribution belonging to us, the users</H2>
<p>
Independence is not just one of these commercial distributions who
have been appearing daily for the last months. It aims at being a
distribution allowing the users to make hear their voice in
distribution design. It is built by volunteers who no longer accept
having an aristocracy of distribution designers providing solutions
who have little relation to the problems faced by us, Linux users.
It is built by people who don't accept that present distributions time
and again neglect two areas who are vital for Linux future: the
desktop and the personal computer.
</p>
<h2>Why do we revolt?<h2>
<p>
Year after year, version after version distribution designers have
been living in a nice little Unix world who has little relation with
the Linux world we are living. In Unix you can ignore private users
and small organizations: they quite simply can't afford it. You can
ignore workstations because for most tasks Windows was so much cheaper
that Unix was not a contender. You can assume the user has
a system administratotr who cares for the box and the sysamin reading
docs for weeks because only big organizations could afford Unix and
that means there are other people doing real work while the sysadmin
tunes his skills.
</p>
<p>
In Linux, or in any affordable system, you cannot ignore the small
company, the private user or the workstation. However eight years
after Linux was created distribution designers are stiil unaware of
this basic fact. They are still shipping servers who are an overkill
for small organizations, they are still giving a far better treatment
to LAN users than to dial-up users and despite the availability of
office suites thay seem unable to think outside servers and include
productivity software or the tools you will need if your Linux box is
a client of an NT box. Eight years after Linux creation distributiuon
designers haven't learned to think in software for private users as
something as important as Apache or Samba or that you have to think in
users who don't have a system adminitrator caring for them.
</p>
<p>
We at project Independence think that the Linux user is different from
the Unix user, that Linux has potential to go where Unix never went
and that means that we need Linux-specific solutions. We have waited
and waited and waited for the day we would get a distribution designed
with the Linux user in mind. We are tired of waiting. We think those
users who are presently neglected while far less influential than
those people who use Linux in traditional Unix roles are in fact far
more important for Linux future. We think it is time for the Linux
users taking charge. That is why we made Independence.
<p>
<H2>The Independence distribution</h2>
<p>
Independence is a free distribution designed by users for the users and
particularly those who are left out by present distributions.
You can find more info about the distribution in the <A HREF="/distribution/">
distribution page</A>
page>.
</p>
<p>
You can find more info about Indy in the<A HREF="/distribution/">
distribution page</A>.
Independence is volunteer work, we will progress faster
if<STRONG>you</STRONG> participate. If you believe that Linux users
are different and need <A HREF="/thinklinux.shtml">
<STRONG>Linux</STRONG>solutions.</A>
Volunteer!
</P>
<p>
Independence is volunteer work and it will make faster progress if
<STRONG>you</STRONG> participate. If you believe that the Linux user
is different and needs <HREF <STRONG>Linux</STRONG> solutions Think
Linux>, if you believe that we, users of the front line, are in the
best position to determine what is good for us, if you want Linux use
spreading beyond its present niche and would like to <STRONG>ACT</ACT><A
HREF="/subscribing/index.shtml">join us!</A>
</p>
<p>To keep yourself informed about Independnce progress subscribe to
the mail list by sending a mail to <strong>majordomo@seul.org</strong>
with no subject or signture and <strong>subscribe
independence-l</strong> in the body
</p>
<HR><TABLE WIDTH=100%><TR><TD><STRONG> Project coordinator</STRONG>
<A HREF="jfm2@club-internet.fr">mailto:jfm2@club-internet.fr">jfm2@club-inter
net.fr </A></TD><TD><STRONG>Web Weaver</STRONG>
<A HREF="elflord@pegasus.rutgers.edumailto:elflord@pegasus.rutgers.edu">elflo
rd@pegasus.rutgers.edu></TD><TD><STRONG>Mailing list subscriptions </STRONG>
</A>majordomo@seul.org>(put subscribe independence-l in the
body)</TD></TR></TABLE><!-- Close the global table --></TD></TR></TABLE>
</body>
</HTML>
================================ END =================================
--
Jean Francois Martinez
Project Independence: Linux for the Masses
http://www.independence.seul.org