Linked by Thom Holwerda on Mon 21st Jan 2008 18:22 UTC
Ars reviews KDE 4.0.0: "KDE 4.0 was officially released last week after extensive development. The long-awaited 4.0 release ushers in a new era for the popular open-source desktop environment and adds many intriguing new features and technologies. Unfortunately, the release comes with almost as many new bugs as it does features, and there is much work to be done before it sparkles like the 3.5.x series." They were also at the KDE 4.0 release event.
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Member since:
2005-07-08
KDE4 is probably the biggest rewrite in the history of the free software movement. It's completely unprecedented, and as an enthusiast, you have to adjust your expectations accordingly. KDE isn't lowing their standards or releasing shoddy software. They're navigating an extremely difficult transition, and many enthusiasts have not been very understanding.
I think it's fair to say that KDE made a mistake by tagging 4.0.0. But I take a long view on these things, and I'm deeply troubled by the message that the community is sending to other project leaders. The community is saying we will hold major rewrites to a high standard, and we will rip into projects over any tactical errors that may tarnish the initial release.
You're not wrong, but your attitude isn't helping. The conventional wisdom says that rewriting software isn't worth the trouble. You're giving more ammunition to the cynics who tell us it can't be done. KDE took a big risk, and they're taking a lot of flak over a triviality.
It's times like this that make it hard to justify working on free software. I don't make a habit of accusing users of being ungrateful, but I really think that this is a example of how no good deed goes unpunished. This wasn't easy. People have poured their hearts and minds into this monumental undertaking. Maybe outsiders don't understand, but I expected better from free software enthusiasts.
I expected our community to accept KDE 4.0.0 for what it is. It's not mature code, and it wasn't a flawless release, but what KDE has done should be celebrated and rewarded. We want projects to take big risks. We want projects to rewrite their code when it gets long in the tooth. But the community response has been awfully discouraging, and that's a real shame.