Gnome, Mozilla and the Challenge of Longhorn

The reason for a "rapid response" is that a lot of people feel that XAML is threatening the internet. From what I've heard/read, XAML is going to become, essentially a closed version of HTML (by closed I mean not in how to write XAML but in how to render XAML). A user downloads a couple of .net assemblies and then uses the XAML website as if it were a regular, desktop application. Think of it as an "Active Desktop" but, using assemblies and xml. From what I hear, the plan is to eventually encapsulate the majority of the assemblies out there as xml files. So, now there's this closed format that people will use for interacting with the web. A closed format that moz and other gecko based browsers can't access or participate in using.

That's the concern. Longhorn is going to make that kind of an internet more and more prevailant. Granted, it really depends on/is up to how the internet community accepts/uses this XAML format for web-based publishing is still to be seen. There's still some concern.

Rapid response is also a general *good thing* I mean forward thinking should never be bashed. If Gnome/kde/other random desktop choice wants to be taken seriously by the end user community, they have to have a response or approach for handling Longhorn.

I think any cross collaboration on the part of gnome and moz is excellent and should be encouraged. The only way an open/free desktop and the community that supports it are going to become accepted by the public at large, as a viable solution, is if more unity or assocation occurs amongst projects.

Cross project/community efforts just make the public aware that yes, people are working on/maintaining this software actively, yes we are serious about this stuff, and yes we are trying to "get it together".