OFFTOPIC: Liam wants to argue (Was RE: A task-centric desktop...)

[Liam Proven]

On 21 November 2011 17:07, W. Scott Lockwood III <vladinator at gmail.com> wrote:
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ubuntu-users-bounces at lists.ubuntu.com
> [mailto:ubuntu-users-bounces at lists.ubuntu.com] On Behalf Of Liam Proven
> Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 11:01 AM
> To: Ubuntu user technical support, not for general discussions
> Subject: Re: OFFTOPIC: Liam wants to argue (Was RE: A task-centric
> desktop...)
>
>> Nope. It's my living, among other things. I've given you a link to a
> published article in which I explained my views at length, some 4y ago.
>
> Being in print doesn't make you right. :-) I read all the provided links. I
> didn't comment on them because I rather felt they backed up my argument.
> Lots of talk of threats. Very little to no meat.

What "meat" do you want, exactly?

Given that MS is refusing to disclose exactly what patents it has, let
alone how many?

>> Calling someone a "stick-in-the-mud" is insulting now, is it?
>> Seriously? I am incredulous. Perhaps this is one of those
> British-versus-American things again.
>
> Specifically, the claims of "shouting" and "whining" are rude, and
> insulting. Perhaps they aren't over there. If it wasn't your intent to use
> those terms pejoratively (which, ok, I don't see how, but whatever) then I
> withdraw my objection.

Wow. You must be a very sensitive and easily upset, then. I am
seriously amazed. How do you cope with communicating with strangers on
the Internet? I have to tell you, don't try writing for publication
then. If you find being grouped in with others who are being described
as shouting or whining to be insulting or hurtful, then some of the
emails and forum comments that I have received over the years would
either cause you a nervous breakdown or suicide. It is a matter of
routine for me to get communications calling me a troll, an idiot, a
liar, a cretin, a retarded moron who indulges in all manner of sexual
activities will Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer and much much *much* more
besides.

Seriously. If you think I was being offensive, I am sure I can forward
you some stuff from my inbox that will shock you.

>> They are not insults and not pejorative. I am not saying people are too
> stupid or something.
>> Words such as "inflexible" are honest representations of my impressions of
> people who cannot
>> adapt to something as trivial as a slightly-rearranged desktop. I stand by
> my comments, or I
>> wouldn't have made them.
>
> Shouting and Whining. Whining more specifically. The implication that I was
> shouting was kind of crass, but calling me and everyone else who is vocal
> whiners is, in my opinion, insulting and a pejorative use of the word.

Shuttleworth is laying out tens of millions of his own personal money
to give us, for free, an excellent desktop OS. For people to then go
"Waaaaa! but I don't like the new desktop! Gimme my old one back or I
am going to go and take someone else's free software instead!" strikes
me as being remarkably childish and whiney, yes!

It's exactly the same as the massed outcry every time Facebook revamps
its interface. None of us are paying customers. None of us are being
compelled to use this. It's free.

Sure, positive critical feedback is useful, but "I hate it I hate it I
hate it gimme the old one back" is not positive critical feedback.
It's whining.

Positive feedback would be:

* I'd like an option to move the Launcher to the bottom or the right
of the screen (although I personally feel left is best)
* I'd like an option to turn off the global menu bar
* I'd like an option to resize the launcher
* I'd like a tickbox to allow all apps to create panel indicators

I am not seeing anywhere *near* as much of that as I am general griping.

-- 
Liam Proven • Info & profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/lproven
Email: lproven at cix.co.uk • GMail/GoogleTalk/Orkut: lproven at gmail.com
Tel: +44 20-8685-0498 • Cell: +44 7939-087884 • Fax: + 44 870-9151419
AIM/Yahoo/Skype: liamproven • MSN: lproven at hotmail.com • ICQ: 73187508