[OSM-talk] Java and freedom

[Richard Fairhurst]

Quoting Martyn Welch <martyn at welchs.me.uk>:

> [load of stuff snipped]

I could (and started to) write a very intemperate fisking of this  
(hey, I like Robert Fisk) but it's not remotely helpful, so I'll  
restrain myself.

Please, please, please remember that not everyone has the same views,  
the same level of knowledge, or the same background as you. There is a  
place for converting people to your cause, but it's not the OSM  
mailing lists. Posting <rant>...</rant>, and a lot of criticism  
interspersed with assumptions ("likely", "could be", "probably") might  
perhaps convert me to your beliefs, but it's more likely just to  
frighten off any wavering newbies on this list.

For my level of technical knowledge and chosen OS, none of the  
existing editors are usable. YMMV and I hope it does. I'm simply  
proposing to do something about it which needn't affect you or anyone  
in the slightest if you don't want it to. At the same time, I hope  
that the few things I _do_ know about will enable me to make it an  
attractive, simple editing solution for some other people in some  
other circumstances, and hence increase the amount of open geodata in  
the world.

I'm not sure what the English equivalent of "mit freundlich Gruessen"  
or "amicalement" is - Petter's "friendly"? - but please insert it  
here. :)

cheers
Richard