Re: [linux-audio-user] New Sound Subsystem Needed For Qt4/KDE4

From: Janina Sajka <janina@email-addr-hidden>
Date: Sat Jul 30 2005 - 17:52:40 EEST

Arnold Krille writes:
> 2005/7/29, Christoph Eckert <ce@email-addr-hidden>:
> > > Please say good-bye to the thought of jack as the
> > > soundserver for everything. Jack is for professional raw
> > > datastreams with very little latency. For the typical
> > > desktop-app/game its irrelevant how much latency there is
> > > (if its not 2 secs)
> > sorry, wrong. What about the gamers?
>
> Typical kde-game has beeps and short bings as sounds, not a full
> soundenvironment.
> And it certainly doesn't need realtime.
> Every other game uses gl or sdl and the needed soundsystem...
How do you know it doesn't need it? Because no one has required it
before? Maybe it doesn't need it because it was never available to be
used?

This argument reminds me of so many silly ideas in history--the world is
flat, char-based consoles is all we need for our powerful mainframe
computers -- why should we connect unrelated computers from around the
world together in a network, what would they possibly have to share.

Once upon a time the planet had not been circumnavigated, all computers
used line printers for output, and the Internet was someone's strange
idea. Is that a reason for not going around the world? Is that a reason
for saying no to GUI and pointing devices? Is that a reason to keep
computers isolated?? After all, an isolated computer is certainly secure
from viruses, spyware and other malicious invasions.
>
> just face it: jack is _very_ good for professional and semi-pro usage
> in audio. But it is not a full multimedia-system (audio _and_ video)
> and it doesn't decode any files. These are the things kde needs!
>
This word keeps coming up. Professional. It's stated over and over in
these messages as the reason why KDE cannot adopt Jack. Jack is for
"professional use."

And KDE isn't? Did I miss the policy statement somewhere that says: "KDE
is for amateurs?" "For casual, and occasional computer users?" "For
children?"

And I thought we were all about building an environment that facilitated
anyone's ambition. Want to be a casual user of games when you're 6 years
old? Great, we want Linux (and all it's various subparts) to be for you.
Want to program C++ when you're 10? No problem, we've got all the
tools--no extra price. Want to emmulate Mozart and write a 21st Century
multimedia opera when you're 16? No probl .... ..... Wait, it seems you
can't use KDE. That would be "professional."

Please explain what's wrong with being professional, with supporting
professionals, with professionalism. Because these complaints are voiced
so much I am coming to believe you are against "professionalism."

>
> My last comment: You from LA[UD] won't change KDE's decision, which
> already has been made... towards a layer between kde and the
> soundsystem to use to be able to choose the soundsystem during
> runtime...
>
> And Linux doesn't have to choose _the_ one soundsystem to rule them
> all. The big advantage of Linux is exchangability.
>
Maybe your decision is the right one for KDE--maybe it is unfortunate.
But you really must come up with better explanations. Even a simple "We
don't want to" would make more sense than the than this "not needed" and
"it's for professionals" rationale.

In point of fact the question, as someone in this thread said, is not
whether KDE does X Y or Z at this particular time, but whether KDE has
the vision and leadership to step up and forge progress toward a
solution the wider community desparately needs. The problem won't go
away. Sound management on the Linux platform is a shameful disaster,
imho, today. It seems too many decision makers just don't regard audio
as important. Well we are sensient beings, we humans. We (most of us)
hear, see, smell, touch, and feel. Telling us that any one of these
abilities is marginal may make your current task simpler, but it will
not engage the wider population of children, casual users, amateurs --
or professionals.

This thread has not come about because LAU desperately needs KDE. It has
come about because the audio professionals in your Linux familiy see an
opportunity to move the Linux environment forward in an area where it
currently lags and languishes in indecision and neglect. KDE can choose
to say "We're not interested," but that will only push the problem on
for the next group which comes to a major rearchitecting. But, sooner or
later, the issues will be addressed -- or this environment will wither.
I'm convinced it's that fundamental--but that's another email. The only
question for KDE is whether they want to be leaders or followers.

                                Janina

> Have a nice weekend,
>
> Arnold
>
> --
> Wenn man mit Raubkopien Bands wie Brosis oder Britney Spears wirklich
> verhindern könnte, würde ich mir noch heute einen Stapel Brenner und
> einen Sack Rohlinge kaufen.

-- 
Janina Sajka				Phone: +1.202.494.7040
Partner, Capital Accessibility LLC	http://www.CapitalAccessibility.Com
Bringing the Owasys 22C screenless cell phone to the U.S. and Canada. Go to http://www.ScreenlessPhone.Com to learn more.
Chair, Accessibility Workgroup		Free Standards Group (FSG)
janina@email-addr-hidden		http://a11y.org
Received on Sat Jul 30 20:15:11 2005

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