Thanks Aaron,
I agree with lots of your comments, but I think you have somewhat misunderstood me. I too am very thankful for FOSS software, and the many people behind it. I am merely pleading that we don't release a *Windows version* that is crippled, particularly in the area of printing (see the bug I mentioned).
All I am asking is that there be patience with the *windows* release, because for those who aren't as technically astute, a release that can't print is going to scare them off. Hence the comment about humiliating. And I think not just Inkscape, but FOSS, and SVG too.
Aaron Spike wrote:
A Windows-less release is only humiliating to the Windows using portion of the community.
Not what I was saying. A windows-crippled release, which has been strongly suggested in the area of printing, would scare a lot of people away. I just gave out fifteen CDs with Inkscape 0.45.1 this week, and I didn't give out the Dev version, because I knew it wasn't ready. I would not give out a print crippled version of 0.46, because there's a lot of negative PR in that sort of thing. That's what I meant about humiliation.
Please explain how you have arrived at the supposition that the motivation for this Inkscape release is about "saving face"? It is a goal of our project to have timely releases. This is a good goal for every OSS project. It helps projects to move forward and gauge progress. And it helps us slow down and focus on identifying and resolving a large number of issues with functionality and stability.
I agree and support moving forward. I guess I feel very discouraged that members of the community have started to use windows people as the whipping boy that is holding back the release. I would even describe it as railing against them. Windows people are still people. Non-programmers are still people. And when people are strongly suggesting that we should just drop printing, after several other rants, it makes me really start to question motives.
I find this paragraph insultingly stereotypical. ...I believe that the arguments you have made, because of their tone, do more to distract from your argument rather than support it.
Well, I feel like my tone is a lot gentler than several comments I've seen lately from others, and felt I needed to ask for some patience. I don't demand anything from any developers, and I am not asking anyone to spend money or time, but I *ask* for some patience from some on the windows version.
I probably didn't say clearly enough that I don't mind a late release on Windows, just not a crippled release in such an important area as printing. Hopefully that is now clear, and hopefully it would mean that no-one would have to rant, me included. </flame>