RunRev and Linux

[Richard Gaskin]

Richmond Mathewson wrote:

> RunRev go on and on and on about how much they listen to and care
> about their 'community' of devoted users . . . however, many times over the
> last 9 years (in which I have been a devoted RunRev user) I have wondered
> whether that is really true; or, whether the truth lies somewhere nearer
> to there being a trusted "inner circle" of users whose opinions are
> respected,
> listened to, and acted upon, and an "outer circle" of users who are
> tolerated
> so that RunRev can say that they are quite a bit more "warm and cuddly"
> than they really are.
>
> The fact is that the Linux flavour of Runrev is distinctly "dicky"
> compared to
> the Mac and Win ones; this is being commented on by quite a few users
> of lesser or greater computing skill, and there appears to be a "hush" from
> the other side does seem to confirm my suspicions.

I don't think it's any sort of grand conspiracy, but rather that the 
cause-and-effect may be exactly backwards from what you suggest:

It seems unlikely that Kevin holds meetings in a shuttered room with a 
handful of individuals in top hats sitting around smoking Cuban cigars 
and deciding that fate of the Rev community through hushed voices.

The Linux community has simply thus far failed to gain sufficient market 
share to warrant much more of Rev's time than it does now.

While there are quite a few disgruntled posts about Linux from time to 
time, most of them have come from about six people.

Just to be clear, I'm not saying Rev runs perfectly on Linux, but Rev 
doesn't run perfectly on Windows or OS X either.  And indeed it seems 
that the farther you go from the market-leading Linux distro, Ubuntu 
with Gnome, the more such issues become evident.

That said, I don't think this is because RunRev is somehow limiting any 
individual's input in favor of some imagined cabal.

On the contrary, it seems self-evident that Rev is listening the 
EVERYONE, in a world where almost half of their money comes from Mac 
folks and the other half comes from Windows folks, while fewer than a 
dozen of us here care about Linux.

If you want to see RunRev give Linux more attention, first get the world 
to give Linux more attention by giving it more attention of your own:

Evangelize the OS; let vendors know when you want to buy a PC without 
paying for a copy of Windows you'll be replacing anyway; host or 
participate in Install Fests; give away CDs to random people on the 
subway; etc. etc. SpreadUbuntu.com has some helpful evangelism tips.

It isn't RunRev's fault that Linux has a 1% desktop market share. 
That's not a bug Kevin can address - but we can, and we will.

--
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World
  Rev training and consulting: http://www.fourthworld.com
  Webzine for Rev developers: http://www.revjournal.com
  revJournal blog: http://revjournal.com/blog.irv