"What is the Fedora Project?"

[Seth Vidal]

On Thu, 8 Oct 2009, Tom \"spot\" Callaway wrote:
>
> I've been thinking a lot about how I want to respond to this thread.
> Here are my thoughts:
>
> * I am troubled by the subtext of the repeated questioning of "What is
> Fedora", because I really don't think that is the question that is being
> asked. Instead, I think the question being asked (or at least, the
> question being answered) is: "Who is Fedora (the Linux Distribution) for?"
>
> If indeed, we are attempting to answer that question, it implies that
> there are users for whom Fedora is not, and will never be, a good fit.
> Even if this is practically true, it bothers me that we are saying that
> out loud. We're telling folks, go somewhere else if you don't fit into
> this nice box, don't bother trying to improve Fedora in those areas.

We're  already doing that. We've been doing that all along. If you want to 
make fedora better for some piece of closed source software: go somewhere 
else. If you want to make fedora use a bsd-core: go somewhere else.

We draw those lines all the time. All this thread has suggested so far is 
let's narrow it down a bit more. Let's make it more than just 
freesoftware, linux people. Let's make it freesoftware/linux people that 
have a minimum level of experience.


>
> Hypothetically, if the Desktop SIG answered "Who is the target audience
> for the Fedora Desktop Spin?" with "Experienced Linux users and
> developers", I could easily see the value in organizing a "Fedora
> Simple" Spin, where the answer is "New Linux users", with a separate spin.

And the problem in both of these cases is this:

you make certain choices based on who you are targetting. If you go to 
much toward the new user you piss off the advanced user. And since we 
CANNOT replace pkgs in spins - then we either have 27 'alternatives' or we 
do an arse-load of changes in %post to accomodate one set of users or the 
other.

We've been over this OVER AND OVER AND OVER again, Tom. When we had 
the FAD in RDU back in the summer you even conceded the point
that you cannot develop for EVERYONE all at once. I believe it was 
Notting's point.


The point I've always made is the same. You've made your choice. You are 
of the opinion that Fedora should be targetting new users first  and 
foremost. Great. I'm glad you've made your choice - but if you continue to 
present the claim that you can develop for all users at all times you are 
begging the question. That's what is demobilizing the discussion.

That's the CRUX of the problem.

-sv