[Mono-list] Java, Mono, or C++.. by HP

[Alex Combas]

Hello,
As no doubt some of us have already read:

Havoc just released an article[1] describing the
important decision that Opensource is facing of what
Managed World(tm) we will all adopt.

In doing so he gave Mono a real black eye and I think
we need to stand up and defend ourselves or risk
loosing a lot.

It is sad for me to see that the discussion got off to
such a bad start, but Im sure that Havoc was only
trying to be realistic.

But still, it is sad to see that he says he is
attempting to open the lines of discussion and then
promptly bashes everything except gcj and classpath.

We need to start advocating our platform, we need to
start voicing ourselves. A lot is at stake here. We
_must_ act.

Personally, I think Havoc was taking a very
black/white approach to things. 

But why does the GNOME core really need to be mutually
exclusive when viewing gcj or Mono? Isnt there room
for both? doesn't opensource thrive due to it's
genetic diversity.

I understand the argument he makes, and I realize that
integrating both gcj and Mono would be more than twice
as much work as implementing either one alone. However
by finding a way to integrate both Worlds(tm) we would
not only be safer (by not putting all our eggs in one
basket) but also more advanced. 

Ok, so now it sounds like I have no idea what Im
talking about (and probably dont :P) because
implementing both systems is impossible, right?
Yes, as things stand currently I admint it would be
hard to impossible.

< uninformed_and_idealistic_rant >

We would need to get _everyone_ onboard and
re-engineer the entire desktop into a truely component
based system (this should be done regardless of which
Managed World(tm) ends up being integrated). If the
entire platform were truely and completely component
based then I think there would be room for both
Managed Worlds(tm) and developers could choose to
target which ever they feel more comfortable with.
Win, win.

</ uninformed_and_idealistic_rant >

Further more, Havoc sites the problem of a possible
fork if Mono is chosen and sites the legal limbo
quagmire that we are currently wallowing in as the
reason for it. 

How is that legal review coming? 
Do we have a time line?

And finally, I think that if a fork were to take place
(by Novel choosing to go it alone and integrate Mono
into the core of its Ximian Desktop) that we would
survive the storm and eventually we would prevail. I
think Mono has the critical mass needed in order to
weather a fork-storm, although I really hope we dont
need to fork.

Please, please, please, please do not sit idly by and
watch as a Mono based desktop is yanked out of our
reach. We need action. Lots of it.

Alex Combas "sabmoc"@irc.gnome.org#mono

[1]http://ometer.com/desktop-language.html


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