Launchpad desktop integration (Re: Ubuntu in the other news?)

[Matt Zimmerman]

On Mon, Sep 19, 2005 at 07:02:29AM +0800, John wrote:
> I appreciate the reasons for doing this, but _I_ mostly use Linux off 
> the Internet. And when connected, I'm mostly behind a firewall or two, 
> and short of pinging a remote site there's no way for Linux to tell 
> whether a remote connexion is possible.
>
> Software that assumes that access to the Internet is available _right 
> now_ seriously peeves me - even more when, as in Windows Update in XP 
> SP2, I cannot turn it off.

The purpose of this feature is to provide convenient access to online
resources related to the software, when the user requests it.  It doesn't
access the network unless one of the menu entries is selected (e.g., "Get
help online").

There's no assumption of Internet connectivity.  If it isn't available, the
feature (much like, for example, the Google search box in Firefox) simply
won't work.

-- 
 - mdz