From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 From: Weiqi Gao To: cygwin@sourceware.cygnus.com Subject: Re: Cygwin participation threshold Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 23:02:00 -0000 Message-ID: <36D4C298.32C1C355@a.crl.com> References: <13561.990222@is.lg.ua> <199902221654.LAA07362@envy.delorie.com> <19990222183222023.AAA254@carl_zmola> <19990223214848.A23525@cygnus.com> <19990225005148.53402@mundook.cs.mu.OZ.AU> <19990224121846.A25762@cygnus.com> X-SW-Source: 1999-02n/msg00810.html Message-ID: <19990228230200.4g5rH0NlHEomdC5zCiUfCDyQB1B3mzQW5yH8cnsAPr4@z> Christopher Faylor wrote: > > True, but that is not the point. I believe this whold thread started > because I lamented the lack of people contributing directly to cygwin > development. The many contributors to the linux kernel do not do so > because it is possible to develop proprietary code for linux. > > I don't consider companies who create proprietary kernel modules as > contributing to linux development in any way. Possibly they help indirectly > by getting the word out about linux but that is a secondary and, IMO, very > minor benefit. Windows is too complicated. It usually takes a sharp individual a long time (four years?) to become really proficient in Windows. And that proficiency usually last a very short time (two years). All of their knowledge would have been gained through the continued (and expensive) subscription to MSDN. They usually don't feel compelled to contribute to anything. It's the culture. Groups of Windows developers would sit around bashing Unix. An ActiveX DLL is the highest ideal that they can attain. Putting the "copy file" animation into every program is their idea of fun. Their world evolved around OLE, COM, ActiveX, DirectX, ODBC, DAO, RDO, ADO, DCOM, MVM. They would ask: "what's the point of Cygwin?" And you answer "so that Cygnus can host GNU tools on NT for embedded programming." They open up their MSDN case, thumb through the couple dozen or so CDs inside and find WindowsCE. "We have Visual Basic and Windows CE. And Microsoft told me that's all I need for embedded programming," they would say. "I don't care what you think of me, but as far as I'm concerned, Microsoft invented the PC in 1980. They invented GUI and the Mouse in 1989. They invented TCP/IP in 1992. And they invented the Internet in 1995." There's a huge mass of them out there is a fact of life. The only way to turn their heads around and even look at something non-Microsofty is to show them a huge amount of money. "What's there in it for me?" is their motto, or they wouldn't have become Windows programmers. If you don't believe me, look at (or just imagine) the latest CNN/USA Today poll. -- Weiqi Gao weiqigao@a.crl.com -- Want to unsubscribe from this list? Send a message to cygwin-unsubscribe@sourceware.cygnus.com