[olug] The microcosm that says so much

[Adam Lassek]

I'm withholding judgement until the theme is at least beta-quality. I think
some of the 'uproar' if you can call it that is over a misunderstanding;
Lucid Lynx is under UI-Freeze, which people take to mean the theme is done.
In fact there's a lot more tweaking in store before this gets released, so
what we are seeing is unfinished.

Most of the arguments against the change that I have seen amount to 'Windows
does it that way, and so Ubuntu should do it that way' which I don't think
is a valid criticism.

On Mon, Mar 8, 2010 at 10:41 AM, T. J. Brumfield <enderandrew at gmail.com>wrote:

> Ubuntu announced their next LTS release will feature a new theme.
>
>
> http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2010/03/ubuntu-dumps-the-brown-introduces-new-theme.ars
>
> Personally, I still can't stand the stock icons most Gnome desktops
> use. Ick. Look at the Windows 7, Mac OS X, or KDE Oxygen icons for
> comparison.
>
> But what has most people up in arms is the order of buttons on the
> window decoration. People are screaming this is just copying OS X.
> (For the record, I have no qualms copying good design, which is why I
> urged Kwin to adopt the Aero Snap feature, which they eventually did).
>
> However, all the hate and vitrol isn't necessary. As someone who very
> rarely uses Gnome, it never occured to me that you can't simply
> configure the window decoration buttons how you want.
>
>
> http://blog.nixternal.com/2010.03.05/let-me-tell-you-where-to-put-the-buttons/
>
> In KDE, you can configure the window decorations to behave exactly how you
> want.
>
> Then again, Gnome doesn't even ship with a Font Installer. I know the
> goal is to have sane defaults, but at some point, shouldn't a user be
> empowered to customize their desktop how they want? Reading the Gnome
> HIG, I see that the Gnome developers feel users are stupid and should
> not be afforded choice. Am I crazy to think I shouldn't be patronized
> by my desktop?
>
> If you want to see the difference between Gnome and KDE, I can think
> of no better example than this. With Gnome, you get what you get, and
> you better like it. If you don't, too bad. In KDE, you can have it
> anyway you want.
>
> I'm sincerely shocked that the Linux community (who seems to value
> choice) would prefer a desktop environment determined to limit choice.
>
> -- T. J. Brumfield
> "I'm questioning my education
> Rewind and what does it show?
> Could be, the truth it becomes you
> I'm a seed, wondering why it grows"
> -- Pearl Jam, Education
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