> One of the greatest problems in Free Software is that, so far, we make it
> just for us. So, we are the only folks who use it, and we don't get the
> rest of the world to use Free Software, and we lose out on any number of
> important things because of that. Important things for the* world,* and for
> Free Software. The rest of the world runs bad software and their security
> and privacy suck. They buy into DRM. What they do is controlled by big
> companies, because they have become slaves of their tools. They don't know
> what electronic freedom is. And for us: hardware doesn't support our
> software. Media doesn't support our software. I could go on...

I disagree with both the motivation you ascribe to the
gnome developers and the approaches taken to attract outside
users.

If you want to have everybody use "linux" then this already
has happened - android is linux, in many regards. And it
is terrible.

If "we" want increase the number of outsiders to be
part of the ecosystem, then do it on our terms - the world
we have allows software to be bent to our will, not the
other way round. Hence the customisation and theming.

Imagine a corporate run world where people have to
live in branded houses with 3 choices of interiors.

Just consider ubuntu - the most "outsider-friendly"
distribution. It has no problem installing nonfree software
and spying on its users - what prevents it making more
ethical compromises and turning into android for the PC ?
And mozilla and the W3C lurching toward adding DRM.

I should write a clearer response to your arguments
at some point, but the excitement you see in an apple
store is carefully crafted by psychologists and a
multimillion marketing budgets. I am sure the people
picking the endangered wood trim for their yachts are
also more exited than the guy planting cotton, despite
the former being worse for the planet.

regards

marc