Interview with Shuttleworth 02/2009

[scottuss]

Remember however that for the masses, having the "experience" matters. For a recent example, look at how many people online are buzzing about Windows 7 when in actual fact we techies know that it is simply Vista with some pretty new eye candy. That "fluff" can make all the difference to a product, and whilst to some people this makes no difference or in fact detracts from the core advantage of using Ubuntu, Shuttleworth clearly wants the eye candy loving masses to convert. And who can blame him?

[chucky chuckaluck]

Remember however that for the masses, having the "experience" matters. For a recent example, look at how many people online are buzzing about Windows 7 when in actual fact we techies know that it is simply Vista with some pretty new eye candy. That "fluff" can make all the difference to a product, and whilst to some people this makes no difference or in fact detracts from the core advantage of using Ubuntu, Shuttleworth clearly wants the eye candy loving masses to convert. And who can blame him?

i don't blame him. i understand it completely. if i had put that much money into it, i'd be talking like a used car salesman. it's just a sad state of affairs when you realize advertising strategy still works.

[toupeiro]

i don't blame him. i understand it completely. if i had put that much money into it, i'd be talking like a used car salesman. it's just a sad state of affairs when you realize advertising strategy still works.

I think the difference is that unlike the used car salesman, he isn't trying to pitch you a 20 year old car thats 25 years old... I see nothing wrong with advertising, whats important is the content and the value being advertised, IMO. It still has a place. In fact, I think ubuntu has an opportunity to bring as much to advertising as advertising could bring to ubuntu.

[MikeTheC]

The term "user experience" refers to the sum total of how a user perceives the result of their intent to utilize something. In many instances, this can refer strictly to the UI aspects of an OS, but in the interview with Mark, I get the sense he's referring to many critical areas and not just simply the UI.

It never fails to amaze me how ten different people can witness something and have ten different impressions of that event.

Ultimately, I think there's two parallel issues going on here.

The first is that people tend to hear what they want to hear.

The second is that the Linux community is like a bunch of cats, each wanting what they want and not giving a s*** about anyone else. If there was ever a factor capable of killing Linux that actually can have an impact on it and is perceivable, that would be it.

I'm not suggesting for a minute that we need to work as some kind of socialist or communist collective hive-mind. What we have to remember is that the general concept all the principle players in the Linux world (Stallman, Torvalds, Raymond, Perens, et al) had in mind when they began their involvement in the project is to have a "commons" for the general public. Roads, public parks and so on are the kind of "commons" to which Linux can be most appropriately compared. What Linux users need to do is to transform themselves from a massive group of "individual users" into a "individualist society", meaning we are a collective group of people, but we're not a commune.

The biggest downside I see to the F/OSS movement is more sociological in nature. We have to make up for the lack of a "commercial company's vision and focus" with becoming a society which functions for it's collective betterment. Again, I understand it's a fine line to say "collective" and not mean "collectivist" or "commune", but nevertheless it's the mindset and goal we need to aim for.

And, if we can't even agree on that, then we don't deserve to be taken seriously by the world as a force to be reckoned with.

[Sealbhach]

Remember however that for the masses, having the "experience" matters.

Yes, the looks are really important. +1000


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[sanderella]

Good informative interview.

[wildman4god]

It's understandable that any real usability changes won't come until 2010, because gnome 3.0 is going to release in early 2010 with early adoption options in fall of this year, and they are planing some major improvements including getting there own unique interface, also open office is in the middle of the renaissance project to redesign the open office UI. So this year it seams all the gnome eye candy is being developed and will be implemented in 2010 and kde will no doubt continue to refine, polish and stabilize their desktop this year as well. Personally I am looking forward to Gnome 3.0