Free projects things

[Marcin Wiacek]

Hi,

This is part of my private conversation. I send my answer to
gnokii/mygnokii list too just to let people know (it's related to
*gnokii* projects). If it isn't interested for you, please ignore and
don't blame me. If you want to know different opinion about gnokii than
"official" and different than all comments, how excellent it is, please
read and find _own_ opinion.

> | Welcome. If want give something back, please help me in testing 
> | mygnokii2 from time to time (some concrete things).
> Well, since mygnokii2 is the only one working gnokii
> version, you can be sure I'll send you reports day by day. And of
> course feature requests, like my sms problem. I understand your 
> problem also with the gnokii team, what I don't understand why do you 
> name your project 'mygnokii2'. Its a good and _working_ project, seems

> like you do your best, and it will be a good tool to work with old and

> new phones. Just down with gnokii, give an own name to your
> project. I'm sure when ppl start use your software, and they 
> find it much useful than the various broken gnokii derivates, 
> they will use it, prefer it over gnokii and contribute to 
> your project.
Well, I want to make clear some things (I don't know, if you know
everything or not - here is explanation from my point of view), when
back to gnokii/mygnokii2 relations:

1.I want to give memory to all people, who gave their time (without
anyting back) and all *gnokii* family was started from their work. My
current software is also natural extension of MyGnokii. So, I think,
MyGnokii2 name seems to be natural for me.

2."free" software is excellent thing, but it isn't always the best.
Sometimes this software is done only because somebody want to show, that
can make some things: "hey, people, I can do it". It isn't important for
him stability or some other _important_ things. Or they're important,
but in fact, he is limited and can't make this software really good
(it's good only in his eyes and he doesn't want to hear other people).
It isn't important, that other people want give something to his project
_without_ anything. It's his project and basta.

I want to avoid such situations. In past I required working software for
my own private/business purposes. Now I have bigger needs and because of
them decided to make MyGnokii2, not continue MyGnokii. I can say in this
moment, that probably MyGnokii2 will have many, many business testers
with different phones very soon. Some people will probably use it,
because only it can give _stability_ required for _real_ professional
purposes.

Returning to gnokii team and "free" software: when people aren't
malignity, it's possible to do more. Now gnokii is also _working_
software (somehow - better or worse), but probably _always_ will be
problems with it because of such and not different gnokii team
behaviours (for example, dropping _difficult_ questions about future of
project). For me it's only shame, that gnokii users have (will have)
problems with the _same_ simple problems. It's shame, that many parts of
mygnokii2 are moved without head (yes - in this moment majority of new
gnokii things are simply moved from mygnokii2; only minority is created
from new hacks or own hard work).

If I can find relations between both projects, it's like with Mercedes
and old good Trabi or like between Slackware and Mandrake (everyone, who
tried both should know, what I speak about).

IMHO, very similiar is with some other "free" projects. Because of it we
still don't have so good (for example) word processor like Ms Word
(compatibility problems, some user interface things, etc., etc.).  And
because of it "closed" software have and will have many users.

Summary: MyGnokii2 name is probably the best. Although removing Gnokii
from it could be very good (after so many disagreeablenesses and human
stupidity in the past and now), I will not probably do it. Or different:
I will make it only, when more people will want it.

Pozdrowienia/Best Regards
-- 
Marcin Wiacek (mailto:address@hidden,
http://marcin-wiacek.topnet.pl, http://marcin-wiacek.fkn.pl/)