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benash
April 24th, 2008, 07:47 PM
I see there's a little sequence on the Ubuntu Home Page announcing the new release. Personally, I like the end: "Ubuntu 8.04 . . . You'll never go back".

But the slides before that I kind of find annoying. It's cool that we're trying to be edgy, but I don't see how an uninstaller is "redundant".

Let me know what you guys think . . .

monkey56657
April 24th, 2008, 08:06 PM
I think the homepage is okay but I do agree some of the messages are a little strange!

I love the new Ubuntu though! And for once...the last 48 hours ive spent more time on ubuntu than on windows! Ubuntu is really getting good now!

Blue Heron
April 24th, 2008, 08:17 PM
think different

banjobacon
April 24th, 2008, 08:26 PM
but I don't see how an uninstaller is "redundant".

It's redundant because you'll never use the uninstaller, since you'll never want to uninstall Ubuntu.

It's a joke.

benash
April 24th, 2008, 08:56 PM
It's redundant because you'll never use the uninstaller, since you'll never want to uninstall Ubuntu.

It's a joke.

Yeah, I know it's a joke, but I don't think it's very good. Redundant doesn't just mean unnecessary. It usually implies some sort of duplication, doesn't it? Like you could say that it's redundant to have Windows on your system when you already have Ubuntu, because everything Windows provides would already be available.

Tomosaur
April 24th, 2008, 10:44 PM
Yeah, I know it's a joke, but I don't think it's very good. Redundant doesn't just mean unnecessary. It usually implies some sort of duplication, doesn't it? Like you could say that it's redundant to have Windows on your system when you already have Ubuntu, because everything Windows provides would already be available.

They're saying 'you don't need the uninstaller' - which would be a correct usage of the word 'redundant'.

benash
April 25th, 2008, 07:02 AM
But something that you don't need isn't necessarily redundant. If someone buys me a pack of cigarettes when I don't smoke, the cigarettes aren't redundant. They're unwanted and will go unused. For something to be redundant, it must duplicate the purpose of something else that already exists. For example, if Ubuntu came with the AbiWord word processor installed, some would consider that a redundant feature, since there is already a word processor (OpenOffice) installed.

misfitpierce
April 25th, 2008, 07:20 AM
Also features page looks much better showing features of Ubuntu 8.04 under Learn More. Like that very much.

3rdalbum
April 25th, 2008, 08:30 AM
Yeah, I agree that the little slideshow advertisement is a bit strange, and most people won't understand what they mean by "redundant". It took me a few page refreshes before I realised what was meant. Maybe Canonical should get an actual advertising agency to do the ads, from now on.

andyrue304
April 25th, 2008, 10:39 AM
Yeah, I agree that the little slideshow advertisement is a bit strange, and most people won't understand what they mean by "redundant". It took me a few page refreshes before I realised what was meant. Maybe Canonical should get an actual advertising agency to do the ads, from now on.

From TheFreeDictionary.com (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Redundant):

re·dun·dant (r-dndnt)
adj.
1. Exceeding what is necessary or natural; superfluous.
2. Needlessly wordy or repetitive in expression: a student paper filled with redundant phrases.
3. Of or relating to linguistic redundancy.
4. Chiefly British Dismissed or laid off from work, as for being no longer needed.
5. Electronics Of or involving redundancy in electronic equipment.
6. Of or involving redundancy in the transmission of messages.

So according to definition 1 the word is used correctly. As you won't be wanting to uninstall ubuntu 'cause you love it so much the uninstaller is superfluous.
Personally I really liked this ad and I work in a Media company. I think it works well for an English (British) audience but can't offer my opinion of how the rest of the world will take it.

apothecaryaaron
April 25th, 2008, 10:47 AM
From TheFreeDictionary.com (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Redundant):

re·dun·dant (r-dndnt)
adj.
1. Exceeding what is necessary or natural; superfluous.
2. Needlessly wordy or repetitive in expression: a student paper filled with redundant phrases.
3. Of or relating to linguistic redundancy.
4. Chiefly British Dismissed or laid off from work, as for being no longer needed.
5. Electronics Of or involving redundancy in electronic equipment.
6. Of or involving redundancy in the transmission of messages.

So according to definition 1 the word is used correctly. As you won't be wanting to uninstall ubuntu 'cause you love it so much the uninstaller is superfluous.
Personally I really liked this ad and I work in a Media company. I think it works well for an English (British) audience but can't offer my opinion of how the rest of the world will take it.

Agreed that it can be squeezed into definition 1, but how many people who see that page have a dictionary in their lap? Connotation of a word is important when it comes to reaching large numbers.

Edit: Not arguing about it, I just need a reason to feel better, because I was totally lost when I read that one. Had to pull out a dictionary myself, and that hurt my pride a bit...

andyrue304
April 25th, 2008, 11:00 AM
Connotation of a word is important when it comes to reaching large numbers.

Agreed. Maybe 'Unnecessary' would have been better?


Edit: Not arguing about it, I just need a reason to feel better, because I was totally lost when I read that one. Had to pull out a dictionary myself, and that hurt my pride a bit...

:) No worries!

I think (hope) most people know what 'redundant' means. With the impending recession, I think a lot of workers are going to become very familiar with it.

apothecaryaaron
April 25th, 2008, 11:04 AM
I think (hope) most people know what 'redundant' means. With the impending recession, I think a lot of workers are going to become very familiar with it.

I always thought of redundant as having a second or third of something which you only need one. That seems to be the way I've heard it most of my life. It was the useless definition that I didn't know. Ubuntu even improves my vocabulary...