[Kopete-devel] Post 3.2 Kopete and packagers

[Rob Kaper]

On Tue, Nov 25, 2003 at 06:20:39PM +0100, Waldo Bastian wrote:
> I see KDE's goal as to provide a desktop environment *AND* applications. And 
> in my view the desktop environment is pretty much limited to kdebase.

KDE is an environment only with a broad range of applications integrating
its features. kdebase provides the desktop, but it becomes an environment by
offering applications. By releasing the applications with KDE, we create an
environment.

Even when distributions seperate our modules into different packages, we've
pushed the environment by publically endorsing the applications as part of
the KDE release, *including* having the quality expected from a stable KDE
release and exposing them to a much larger public.

If we just offer a desktop and applications, we depend on distributors and
end users to build an environment from it. But what makes KDE different, is
that it offers the environment. I'm 100% convinced that including Atlantik
in kdegames gave me more exposure, more users, more feedback and that this
all resulted in a much better Atlantik. I'm glad I have the opportunity to
be part of KDE.

Despite announcements on all major open source software channels, my server
web logs show that no single stand-alone release, Dot mentioning, even
Slashdotting has matched the impact of exposure than being in the new
features list of KDE 3.1. When a KDE module is part of a release,
distributions will update it. Soon. Translators will focus on it when
translating. I can only see very few applications in kdeextragear that would
get the same top priority treatment, if any at all. KOffice might qualify,
but that's out of league with any application that would be in kdeextragear.
And I'm not even convinced that seperating KOffice is still a good idea.

Being part of a KDE release makes a positive difference.

Rob
-- 
Rob Kaper     | "In the name of sheer pity, won't someone operate on
cap at capsi.com | Chairman Arafat and put that poor cancer into a cleaner
www.capsi.com | environment? -- Rick Brookhiser
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