Asked if he still wanted to be a Ubuntu member, he said no
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| Author | Content |
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| Steven_Rosenber Mar 07, 2013 12:25 PM EDT |
This is probably the most important post on the newswire today -- to me anyway. Longtime Planet Ubuntu presence Martin Owens is asked on Launchpad, "Do you still want to be a Ubuntu Member," and he thinks about it and realizes that no, he really does not. His post is short yet well thought out, and it speaks volumes about the difference between a Ubuntu fanboy and a Canonical fanboy. Read the comments to the article. Many are looking at their involvement in and advocacy for a project that is going through a lot of changes. I'm struck particularly by this comment from Scott Lavender: Quoting:It would appear that Canonical has a chance to create or provide an amazing ecosystem of digital devices that are integrated as well, if not better, than Apple. I feel they are making the right decisions to support that goal. Frankly, I support this. What looks to me like it's happening is that these huge entities are saying that the desktop as a way of computing is over, and it's all about mobile, touch and tablet. I don't think we're ready to pitch baby along with bathwater, and I do have tablet and mobile devices (which, frankly, are very poor content-creation devices). But I spend many hours a day in front of desktop and laptop computers and want to do things with them. Much of the angst, I believe, is that so many members of the free software community have put far too many eggs in Ubuntu's basket over the past five or so years, and now we're feeling the anxiety of a world without a Ubuntu-like presence in the areas we care about. Ironically, Martin says he thinks Canonical is moving toward a model where it takes care of its desktop and encourages the community to contribute the applications on top of that. In a way I can't argue with that so much. I'm one of those people who wondered over the years why Ubuntu didn't fund more application development to create programs that could be used across the Linux-distro spectrum. While desktop environments are essential and great and all that, we need applications to be productive and to be entertained. Applications are certainly more important to me than desktop environments, so my view on all of this is a little muddled. You know, it's funny. I'm somewhat sure I'm a Ubuntu member, but I'm certainly not active. I do have a Lubuntu install running, and I continue to watch Xubuntu, Ubuntu and the GNOME Remix (which I'd probably be using right now if it my hardware liked it better). I'm very much encouraged by what Ubuntu is doing in the server space, especially in regard to cloud-based images on services like Amazon EC2 and with the Juju system of server configuration. Despite all the controversy with Unity and shopping lenses, window buttons, Banshee revenue and the like on the desktop, Ubuntu is innovating on the server in a way that I can definitely get behind. So I'm torn on my view of Ubuntu and Canonical. I expect many of you are, too. |
| distrorank Mar 07, 2013 12:47 PM EDT |
This is a smart, smart move by Canonical, actually - very similarly to what Apple provides in term of a very contiguous user interface between devices. Linux is making huge inroads into all kinds of easy-to-use devices and it's a Good Thing(tm) we have the most popular desktop distro jumping on board with that. |
| Fettoosh Mar 07, 2013 3:30 PM EDT |
Quoting:and it's a Good Thing(tm) we have the most popular desktop distro jumping on board with that. Actually, It is Canonical jumping into what KDE team has been working on for a while now. It is the Plasma Desktop/Netbook/Tablet/Phone using Qt/QML More info here I have been running Kubuntu for a while and I see what Canonical is doing. It is a leech and they are not all that bad. we use leeches to heel wounds don't we? -:) The community are leeches too, Ubuntu is sucking blood out of Debian and we suck blood out of Ubuntu to create derivatives like Mint, Kubuntu, and many others. Isn't that the way the GPL works. If it wasn't for Ubuntu, we wouldn't have Ubuntu derivatives would we? Of course we would, but not as easily. That is how it was originally but recent announcements show or at least perceived as change of heart. It seems that Canonical is changing its mind on how to achieve its long term goals. It is getting too annoyed and upset with so many derivatives that are competing with Ubuntu itself and are preventing Canonical from creating a unique identity like Google did with Android. By copying ideas and in house developed code, Canonical will have the liberty to be independent and do whatever it needs with that code. That was the reason why Aaron Seigo showed his concerns in a recent blog assuming that the code will be closed and written without any coordination or cooperation with the community at large who is already doing what Canonical just announced of doing. In other words, forking ideas before even those ideas see any real product released. In my perspective, what is important and a game changer is whether the code written by Canonical is going to be Open Source or not. So far it seems it is going to be and Canonical will stay part of the community. In this case, it will be for the benefit of both Canonical and FOSS community If I am wrong and Canonical doesn't release any code, then the community has a third proprietary vendor to contend with. |
| caitlyn Mar 08, 2013 5:05 PM EDT |
Good summary, Fettoosh. I'm not as optimistic as you are but we'll see. |
| Fettoosh Mar 08, 2013 6:42 PM EDT |
Quoting:I'm not as optimistic as you are but we'll see. I think you are right in the long run and Canonical was to be successful in achieving its goals as planned. But, I like to give them the benefit of the doubt for now. We know better than to trust corporations to stay committed to FOSS since their main objective is to make money. When their market share reaches a certain threshold, they wouldn't care who and how they reached their goals. |
| tracyanne Mar 08, 2013 7:18 PM EDT |
It may well be that Shuttleworth is not out to close Ubuntu code, but will imitate Google, by simply dumping finished code over the wall, in a take it or leave it gesture. He can then continue to claim that Ubuntu is is Open Source (TM) , while tightly controlling all aspects in a proprietary manner. The claim to be an Open Source company, not, I should point out Free Software company, is a major part of Canonicals marketing strategy, so I see the code dump scenario as the more likely end point. |
| vainrveenr Mar 09, 2013 1:37 PM EDT |
Quoting:Much of the angst, I believe, is that so many members of the free software community have put far too many eggs in Ubuntu's basket over the past five or so years, and now we're feeling the anxiety of a world without a Ubuntu-like presence in the areas we care about. OTOH, there are indeed divergent opinions on this particular "take" of Canonical's shift in direction toward encouraging the community it has so actively engaged in the past. Noted San Francisco Bay Area Ubuntu community member Elizabeth Krumbach puts forth such a divergent opinion in her recent blogpost 'On the Ubuntu Community', linked to at LXer via http://lxer.com/module/newswire/view/181943/index.html along with its active LXer forum thread Painful. A telling quote from Krumbach's blogpost: Quoting: “What is most painful about all these decisions is how so much work in the community has been tossed to the side due to announcements which Canonical has clearly been talking about for months. We spent a week in Copenhagen and 4 months since planning a release we’re not sure will happen. In my own work I’ve been coordinating a writing team 13.04 articles for a magazine which may never be published, I have work items around documentation and testing that are completely up in the air because all of a sudden we’re so uncertain about timelines. Since last week I’ve stopped working on anything that depended upon the release cycle because I feel like I’m completely wasting my time. I use myself as an example here, but there are many folks in the community who are feeling this. Regardless of what’s happening behind the scenes at Canonical to cause this, it’s currently a very painful time to be a community member. And further on, Krumbach immediately addresses the very comment from Scott Lavender that particularly "struck" the starter of this LXer thread: Quoting:Posts by Thierry Carrez, Andrea Grandi and Pasi Lallinaho this week have echoed what Scott says about the changing of the platform. And it seems the writing has been on the wall for quite some time, Jono’s own team has shifted from supporting community efforts within the core development framework (from MOTU to translations) to focusing on application developers. Perhaps the astute thoughts of noted Ubuntu contributors such as Krumbach's here may be increasingly taken into consideration for other current and future Ubuntu-contributing "members" ?? Indeed, should or should not parent-company Canonical Inc. have any reason(s) to be concerned that other noted and active Ubuntu contributors will follow in Martin Owens' footsteps by similarly deciding to officially leave the Ubuntu community ?? |
| jdixon Mar 11, 2013 9:22 AM EDT |
> Much of the angst, I believe, is that so many members of the free software community have put far too many eggs in Ubuntu's basket over the past five or so years... Perhaps. But in the end, there's Debian and Slackware. As long as that's true, you have alternatives. |
| Fettoosh Mar 11, 2013 11:15 AM EDT |
Quoting:1. Is the vision of success defined by Mark (Ubuntu on all the things! Desktops! Phones! Tablets!) the same thing I believe in and want to continue moving forward with in my open source endeavors? That is no brainier, it is a great concept and vision, but depends on how it is accomplished and implemented. Quoting:2. If so, where can I continue to contribute where the impact of surprising announcements won’t render my work less valuable (or useless)? Also depends. If Canonical is planing on doing that alone to make a closed proprietary commercial product, then best is to abandon ship and find another FOSS project where efforts are recognized and appreciated. |
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