Is this possible?

[Constantinos Maltezos]

On Thursday 06 November 2008 3:07:07 pm Ian MacGregor wrote:
> Here's some friendly advice.. bring back KDE 3.5.10. Fork it, create a
> whole new DE based on 3.5.10, do something because I refuse to use KDE4*
> and I'll bet I'm not the only one.. it's the biggest pile of feces I've
> ever seen in the software world. This is a classic example of "trying to
> look pretty and sacrificing productivity in the process". At the very
> least, get rid of plasma. If KDE4 were the only desktop environment
> available in Linux, I would be switching to Microsoft Windows today - yes,
> KDE4 is _that_ bad. Luckily, there are other desktops.. so today, instead
> of wasting my time fixing the problems in Intrepid, I'm going to switch
> over to Ubuntu.

I read this yesterday.  I was so angry I was about to put some of the most 
scathing vitriol I could put together in a reply.  Luckily, I've learned to 
let myself cool before responding to such things.

You see, I have no problem with "I don't like KDE4".  Calling it things like a 
"pile of feces" insults my taste and intelligence.  I hope you did not intend 
this.  If you did, let me know so I can tell you exactly what to do with that 
opinion.

I like KDE4.  I download every available update of the unstable tree.  It gets 
better and better.  It being unstable, every once in a while I come across an 
inconvenience, but there are ways around it and in general all I have to do is 
wait a few days and the next update will most likely work it out.  This is my 
home computer, I don't mind.  I have friends and acquaintances that I've 
introduced to Linux that get very excited when they see my desktop - I tell 
them to wait (a few didn't listen, but were warned about possible problems, so 
don't complain), but that it won't be long before they can start enjoying it 
safely, which is the truth whatever all you doomsayers may think.

Years ago, when I finally gave up on OS/2 (long after IBM sadly gave up on 
it), I jumped into Linux, skeptically, but wholeheartedly, because I certainly 
did not want to use Windows on a regular basis.  After playing around with 
different window managers, I settled on IceWM because it had OS/2 window 
decorations available.  I was learning and enjoying it (especially having been 
a DOS user, the power of BASH blew me away).  Then came Gnome.  People just 
like you and the others like you on this list loudly complained and threw 
temper tantrums, saying things like, "why emulate Windows"?  The good old 
fashioned window manager was good enough for Unix, it was good enough for 
them.  Screw the DE!  I tried it and appreciated the effort, but ultimately 
didn't care for GTK or the direction of the Gnome project.  Then came KDE.  
You guys reared your oh-so-pretty heads again and whined that this was even 
MORE like Windows and it used QT, which was proprietary for commercial use (a 
free-for-commercial-use alternative was not available at the time).  They 
complained that it was a big resource eater and would never get off the 
ground.  "Screw you," they said, "I'm going to stick to Gnome!"  (Notice the 
change.)  Then KDE2 came out.  It was buggy, it was released too soon, it used 
too many resources, KDE1 was much better, we're sticking to that, wah wah wah.  
KDE3 didn't cause quite as much commotion because it didn't *look* different 
to you people.  There was still some bellyaching about certain changes, but 
most didn't take notice.

And now comes KDE4 and here you are again.  A lot of you are new faces, but 
it's the same old story.  When I discovered I liked KDE1, I upgraded my KDE 
every time a new version came out, eager to explore the new changes.  This is 
true today.

Here's the crux: KDE has always tried to innovate.  Gnome, while they got some 
major bitching for changing their file manager a few years ago, changes at 
about the speed of dripping molasses.  If you don't like what KDE does, 
please, I beg you, go away.  Go to Gnome.  Or Windows if you think that'll 
show us good, by gum.  Or if you want to stick to Linux and don't like all 
this durn changin', why not try IceWM?  It's still solid and hasn't changed in 
over 10 years.  Hell, if that's too fast for you, there's still the old 
workhorse FVWM.  That hasn't changed since the dawn of time.  KDE goes for the 
big time and I like that it does so.  It's part of what's drawn me to it and 
kept me a loyal KDE user since version one.

I'm glad you're switching to Ubuntu.  But if you and all these others think it 
will make a dent in the KDE community, you're a little full of yourselves.  
People predicted the death of KDE ever since it began, with people swearing 
they were giving it up and never coming back and that's why it'll never make 
it.  You can see how that worked out.

And I'll always remember that it was people like you that drove Mosfet into 
hiding.  Admittedly, Mosfet was not the most stable person in the world, but 
he was magic with what he did.  I can't help but wonder what he could be 
adding to KDE4.

Anyway, goodbye and good riddance.