Re: Icon designer wanted (Aquamacs Emacs)

[Jay Belanger]

Tim McNamara <timmcn@bitstream.net> writes:

> David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org> writes:
...
>> Why should I be bothered about the mainstream?  Why should I applaud
>> moves that focus improving software only on non-free systems?  There
>> is absolutely nothing for me in that.
>
> IMHO that is a narrow and self-centered viewpoint.  Fortunately there
> are other viewpoints that include thinking more broadly about trying
> to increase freedom rather than burying one's head in the sand and
> capitulating.

Huh?  Capitulating to what?
Are you suggesting that improving software only on non-free systems is
trying to increase freedom?  I would think it's closer to the opposite.

> I'd be very disappointed if that was the official attitude of the
> GNU project!

I'd be surprised if it weren't.

>> I have nothing to gain from my software being useful only to
>> mainstream users of proprietary systems, and so I certainly not at
>> all "had better" do anything in order to have people working on
>> stuff that is of no benefit for me.
>
> Increasing freedom in software is not of use to you?

Are we reading the same thing?  How do you go from not caring about
something useful only to users of proprietary systems to not caring
about increasing software freedom?

> Think of it as developing a feeder network.  If Mac users or Windows
> users find good useful free software, that may well lead them further
> into the free software movement.
...
> If on the other hand that software is arcane and Byzantine and
> difficult to use, then they will be discouraged and will go on buying
> propreatary systems.

Having good useful free software on Mac and Windows and Byzantine and
difficult to use free software on free systems might get users to use
some free software, but would otherwise encourage them to go on buying
proprietary systems and so would limit how far they went into the free
software movement.  For people who to whom the free software movement
is important, improvements to the Mac and/or Windows version which
cannot be folded back into the main version would not be a good thing,
it would seem.

Jay