[Debian-np-devel] A question to Debian NP team

[Enrico Zini]

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On Fri, Jun 18, 2004 at 02:07:10PM +0200, Jean-Christophe Babinet wrote:

> I propose to quit the idea of making a distrib for a certain kind of=20
> organisation (the NPOs), and go the the idea to make a distrib that fullf=
ills=20
> the basic needs of computer networks and desktops, and that is thought to=
=20
> make support available (essentially updates and distant maintenance).

Well, if that is what you need, you should consider waiting until
september and then work with the (yet unnamed) distribution made by Mark
Shuttleworth's new company, which is intended to be an uncustomized,
generic, stable Debian distribution with a guaranteed new release every
6 months.

We're doing something else, instead: we want to tackle those issues of
non-profits which go beyond printing and browsing the internet.  We want
customization.  We want to go to people and say "I'm aware of your needs".

It's like the difference between industrial, large scale made dresses
and tailor made dresses: tailor made dresses fit very well on you; large
scale made dresses fit most people, but not very well.

Windows, and most universal software, is generic enough to solve many
problems, but people are unhappy because it doesn't really know about
them, about what they really need.  Many people have to adapt their
problems to the tools that they have available, ending up in doing
things in a frustrating way or not being able to do some things at all.

We work to address that.

In my view, if you want to do a good service, you customize software for
your users.  You give to NPs a distribution for NPs, and to businesses a
distribution for businesses.  Of course you want to have as much things
as possible in common to ease support and development: that's where the
Custom Debian ideas comes into play.

We work for that.

Of course, you don't have to agree.  Please feel free to make your
choices.  If it's a completely generic system that you want, just sit
down and relax: Mark and his team promised to give you a great one in
less than 3 months.

While waiting, you may want to read this:
  http://www.shirky.com/writings/situated_software.html
and this:
  http://zini.ddts.net/enrico/store/lt-paper.sxw


Ciao,

Enrico

--
GPG key: 1024D/797EBFAB 2000-12-05 Enrico Zini <enrico@debian.org>

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