ubuntu-phone team mailing list archive

[Benjamin Zeller <benjamin.zeller@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 02/23/2016 10:46 AM, Mark wrote:
> FWIW, I'm on the "Let Ubuntu be what it is" side - at least for the 
> time being. It's still a nascent platform. It would be sad imo, if it 
> became just another re-spin of what already exists.
>
> I'm not sure I understand the app-store-envy. Especially not when 
> coming from Linux users:
>
> - people generally only use a couple of dozen apps (although the 
> unavailability of a particular one seems to be a deal-breaker for many),
>
> - there's a substantial canon of apps for Linux, which can only grow,
>
> - there's usually a substitute app in the Linux portfolio which is as 
> least as good.
>
> When it boils down to it, it's usually the absence of the wretched 
> WhatsApp underlying this argument. Well, if people want to communicate 
> with a Ubuntu phone user <THAT> badly, they can blooming-well download 
> a free, OpenSource alternative. :/
Sadly its not so easy. You are seeing the whole story from the 
perspective of a person who's experienced enough to have multiple 
messaging apps running on your phone.
I know plenty of people who would state right away that they can not 
handle more than one app. Or are just too stubborn to have more than one 
app.

Its not about the people who want to communicate WITH a Ubuntu phone 
user, its about a Ubuntu phone user who can not communicate with others
because of having no WhatsApp.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of WhatsApp and like a more open 
approach a lot better e.g. Telegram. Sadly most people stick with the 
first solution
that worked for them. And as long as WhatsApp is not making big mistakes 
it will stay that way for quite some time.

But I personally would like to see our own native app story improved to 
a point where we could support all requirements of a application
like that easily instead of falling back to non native applications.

> It's somewhat alarming that a group of apps seem to collectively wield 
> such strength as to dictate whether an Operating System flies, or not. 
> I'm really hoping Ubuntu has a different, truly Linux, mindset that 
> stands above that.
>
> And devs of apps? Don't they want as much exposure as possible? Why 
> wouldn't they want to be on Ubuntu too? Hopefully, its development is 
> not going to be so seismic - as windowsphone - such as to put them off.