Rename PLUG! (was Re: RMS (again))

At 12:19 PM 5/3/02 -0700, you wrote:
% alandd@mindspring.com (alandd@mindspring.com) wrote:
>> Oh, bother!
>> Let's not go round and round with this again. Check the archives if you
>
>And, even if that would do any good, why not? Are you too busy? Too
>important? Too lazy? That 'delete' function too hard to operate that
>you're feeling the need to moderate?

No moderation intended. Nor do I have, or want, the authority to do so. I just was throwing my opinion out that the topic has been hashed and re-hashed. My delete key works just fine.

>This is not an adversarial proposition! And further, while I am just going
>on a year in attendance here -- I remember when you joined up Alan: to
>refer me to the archives is upstart-ish, at best.

I did not intend to raise any hackles.

Me! An upstart! My wife would be proud as she thinks I am too easy going. :^)

You are correct, of course. Old topics come around and around as new people join without knowing the history of the list. (ie. "What distro should I use?" comes up several times a year) It is the community education process that must repeat for each individual that joins the community.

(BTW I am going on 2 years with PLUG, after thinking about it. Time flies!)

>I am making a suggestion to a possibility of tipping-the-hat, ever so
>slightly, to a group which has given so much, to so many, for so long, so
>very freely. That's all.
>
>> IMHO, RMS needs to get over himself. The "market" has spoken and the
>> name is Linux.
>
>sigh. Nothing like humility. But I suppose encouraging acknowledgement
>and credit where it's due is too much to ask for something you "love and
>use".

I agree that the GNU group has made and continues to make large and valuable contributions to Linux OS. I thank them.

On this point, I am being pragmatic. I am of the opinion that a name "correction" or arguments over a name are counter productive to the open source/free software movement. It causes divisions within the group. It presents one more confusion to the market.

I my opinion, if we could change the world and have everyone start using the "GNU/Linux" name overnight, this would not further the open source/free software movement at all. It provides no value to the goal of getting the world to use open source/free software. If the different name will not further the bigger goal, why waste time arguing about it? It is a small issue diverting a disproportionate amount of energy away from the larger goal.

Someone may ask, "If it is a small thing, why not just change to GNU/Linux then?" Because users of closed source/proprietary software do not know this OS by that name. The value of name recognition is huge and that value is in the name "Linux." ZDNet News, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, INC. Magazine, for Dummies books, Joe on the street, etc. will not stop calling it "Linux" even if every current user were to switch to "GNU/Linux"

The momentum is on the side of the "wrong" name. Should we hamper our promotion efforts trying to change the momentum or should we ride the momentum and get more people using it? Is it more important that people call it by the "correct" name or that they understand the movement and use the software?

>galvanized at the bitchslap,
>Gontran

Whoa! I am sorry if you felt slapped! I apologize for coming across that way! I will work to moderate myself better.

Alan