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From: vonn@statsci.UUCP (Vonn Marsch)
Newsgroups: comp.windows.x
Subject: NO (GUI) WAR!
Message-ID: <9102252115.AA07726@statsci.com>
Date: 25 Feb 91 21:15:46 GMT
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 68

You know, it's funny; according to UNIX related computer industry
publications, there is some sort of "religious war" going on between 
OPEN LOOK and Motif.  They would have you believe that developers and
customers were frothing at the mouth, demanding that one or the other GUI
were implemented on their systems.

As we who follow this newsgroup know, users and developers are mostly
ambivalent regarding this issue.  Perhaps this misunderstanding is partially
supported by arguments over the net about the minute differences between
OL and Motif.  But we can (and have shown a prepensity to) argue endlessly
about minute differences.

However, it looks as though we're getting to the real issue for developers:

> Tim Bray writes:
> nazgul@alphalpha.com (Kee Hinckley) writes:
>> This stuff about being able to do two GUIs is nonsense.  Not because
>> it isn't possible.  Not because it isn't easy.  But simply because
>> WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO IT!  It's a waste of time, resources and it
>> hurts the industry.
>
> And, speaking from my developer's soapbox, let me say:
>
> RIGHT ON!
> [...]
> I don't give a flying
> #$%)@!# which L&F wins, as long as *one* of them dies quickly and gracefully.
> Then we can get together and bury DOS, OS/2, SAA, and the Macintosh (with some
> regrets in the latter case).

Here is my modest proposal:

This mis-truths about the "religious war" are perpetuated by individuals 
incapable of understanding the actual technical differences between GUIs; 
whose only "religious" value, as far as computers are concerned, is 
"the bottom line".  Well, let's give them a religious war.

Here's what we do.  We, that is, the community of X application developers,
decide which GUI we like best.  By voting.  Or by flipping a coin -- whatever.
Then we beat the drum for that GUI.  We complain about the loser and 
extol the virtues of the winner at every possible turn.  If
we work for a shop that insists on using the loser, we complain bitterly and
grumble about it.  For those who need ammunition for their attacks, plenty
can be supplied for either side from sources on the net.  Once the marketplace
chooses a (hopefully our) winner, we campaign just as hard to improve it.

Many of you are probably thinking "But what if [OpenLook,Motif] wins?  I have
X, Y and Z objections to that GUI."  To this, I say, "Look, Pal, you think 
*I* don't have an opinion?"  I do; but I'm willing to sacrifice it to avoid 
the living hell of rewriting my applications for different environments.
We must turn our flame throwers into a blast furnace to forge a single
UNIX development environment.

BTW, I'm not joking.  This two GUI thing is a real, serious problem.  We can
do something about it if only we can stop bickering about the insignificant
details.  I know this sort of political crap turns off alot of people on the
net; I sincerely wish it wasn't necessary.

Vonn Marsch
Statistical Sciences, Inc.
(206)283-8802
vonn@statsci.com

P.S., To the people at Solborne :  OI looks like a nice product.  I would
like to use it.  But unless you are only developing for Sun or SunClone
hardware, you must buy the source code from the Backing Store Patent People
for 10 Gs.  10 Gs is a lot of money for a small company.  Just wanted you
to know that I appreciate the thought of OI.