Developers, developers, developers...

[Maciej Pilichowski]

Hello,

  Do you remember this? You don't have to like S.Ballmer, but you have 
to admit -- he's got the point.

  I am software developer for over 2 decades, I use Linux for over one 
decade. And I am more and more concerned, that in Linux world 
development is done by accident -- there is no Linux-specific, 
well-fitted, modern framework (db+language+GUI+IDE), and (partially 
as effect of this) there no books about it (count all books about 
programming in KDE or Gnome, published recently, count near 0, 
correct?).

  Compare this to how Microsoft is pushing things -- new languages 
(plural!), new GUI, their own database, their own IDE. You don't have 
to use it to develop anything for Microsoft system, but manufacturer 
of the product provides tools for the development. Pretty convenient, 
if you ask me. 

  And if you go to Amazon, and search for C#, F#, WPF, ASP, MVC, I 
assure you, you get a lot of hits, and lot of them are fresh.


  With all those changes going on with Ubuntu, it is hard to nice all 
of them are consumer oriented. Canonical gives, consumer takes. I 
have nothing against with such model of business, but bug # 1 is 
still open in Launchpad, so if you are serious about making the 
difference you (Canonical, and all Ubuntu devs) have to:

a) deliver killer-apps -- so far, I can think of just one, it's bash

b) help developers to develop programs for Linux/Ubuntu, to help you 
in return

For developers it is fun writting programs, but if the struggle begins 
with putting together the framework and getting clear documentation, 
then probably majority of developers have better things to do -- i.e. 
writting programs. Only developers fueled with ideology can be 
interested in solving the most basics things, just because "it is 
right".

  I don't know if this makes enough of the wake-up ring, but at least, 
if you don't do anything about it, you won't have excuse -- you heard 
it. Microsoft (and not only it) knew and knows the importance of 
ISV -- now is the question, if Ubuntu/Canonical realizes this 
importance as well?

  I would just suggest -- focus on something, Ubuntu, Kubuntu, make 
your choice, but make it for (really) good. Even such company as 
Microsoft or Oracle does not have unlimited resources (Canonical till 
now behaves like it is an exception) -- they use the snowball effect 
(while we had [x] widget shift in Ubuntu, Microsoft was busy 
polishing ASP/MVC -- what was the impact on developers?). Then build 
your own tools, or use and support a package of third party stuff. 
And then provide "a bible" -- thorough documentation how to use those 
tools. Of course all this has to be comparable with modern solutions, 
nobody will be interested in programming in Cobol/Tk using 
Ubuntu ;-).
  

  That's all for know. I hope my point in regard to wishful thinking 
about bug #1 is clear. 

  Your call.


Kind regards,