Maybe that's why Windows OSS is so useless. ;-) No, seriously, though, the distribution of Windows OSS software across multiple websites can't possibly help grow the operating system. (Which works fine for Windows, since it doesn't need growth.)

As a Maemo user, I'd rather use 1 website to browse 500 applications than 50 websites to browse 10 applications each. And because the community is so small, it pays for us to stick together.

It's ironic. Just recently we had a(nother) thread on community software QA that stirred up a lot of emotion here. Now here's something proposed that certainly began with good intentions but does indeed have the potential to create or exacerbate fragmentation.

Here's what I would have rather seen with the time, energy and resources devoted to this: a solution to the software QA problem. Some sort of synergy with maemo rather than overlap and possible competition.

It concerns me when a developer says he's too lazy to create a maemo project, because I have to wonder what else they're being lazy with-- QA, documentation, libraries, etc. If it becomes easier to "manage" a project using this new solution then the result will not only be fragmentation, but further erosion of quality. Rather than enable laziness, we should encourage at least some degree of discipline. I realize that last word seems to fly in the face of FOSS, but without discipline Linux would remain a cool hobbyist plaything, nothing more.

I really, really, REALLY wish the community developers would team more. The resources are there. The need is certainly there. I'm not sure what's kept it from happening like I've seen it happen in similar circumstances. What's lacking? An Internet Tablet Developer School?

Anyway, just my meager 2 cents on the subject. I won't argue much on this one because I know Reggie's heart is in the right place and the last thing I would want to do is rain on his parade.

I agree with Tex if you like it or not Reggie worked hard on it so you shouldn't complain we wouldn't complain if someone added a feature to a program we didn't like because hey he is using him time to work on it for us.

Well... actually I *did* complain a bit...

Yes but you still gave him credit for his hard work

Taking a break from the, errr, wienie roast...when looking at the downloads forum, how can I know at a glance what type of application I am looking at? As in word processing, spreadsheet, graphics, multi-media, PIM...whatever?

Right now I could see the organization getting like a rats nest over time.

BTW, I do not mind the idea of this section being here...in fact I like it. But I will stay out of the fray...obviously there is significant polarization and, well, I don't need more complications in my life...I have enough already.

^ wienie

I've made changes to add the category in the thread. Thanks for suggesting it.

A program we don't like we can just choose not to use. Another downloads section isn't something we can ignore in the same manner. Not as a developer (if you want exposure in the most places possible) and not as a user (if you want to get software).

I'm not bashing Reggie for his clearly good intentions (something about "the road to hell . . ." does come to mind, though ), I'm bashing this idea for the effect that its current implementation is likely to have on the community.

I don't consider the basic idea to be flawed—leveraging itT's strength (discussion) to help improve software, but there are major issues in its implementation. I say again, why wasn't collaboration (in the form of some sort of syndication) with maemo.org considered? This would rather perfectly solve all the issues here. Developers don't have to double their workload by maintaining their projects on both maemo.org and itTSS (because itTSS picks things up through syndication), and users don't have to search two separate places for their software, because both places will be in sync.

Reggie, I know your heart was in the right place, but I don't think you fully considered the repercussions here. Don't take this as an assault on your good intentions, but as an assault on their implementation.

On the bright side, this is really a fairly easy thing to fix. Talk to X-Fade and the other maemo.org people, get the syndication set up and integrate it—problem solved.

The syndication thing would still not fix that some people don't post there software to maemo.org and I know some will not post it here either.
I think the best thing is for me to just agree to disagree with the people who don't like the download section here I can see us dragging this on for week. I don't see it as that much more work for developers. Since I have developed many programs for other things just not maemo yet haven't decided what to work on yet lol.