Linux Desktop Standards

Having discussed the open source movement in light of new product development, I thought the following article: Tech firms to tackle Linux desktop standards was appropriate for our discussion. By developing standards, that would be overseen by the Free Standards Group, this enables more software development based on the Linux operating system. As quoted from the article:

The goal of the project is to encourage the development of more applications for the Linux platform, the group said. Developing applications for Linux desktops is a complicated endeavor now because of significant differences between two prevailing versions, called GNOME (GNU Network Object Model Environment) and KDE (K Desktop Environment).

"With this complex and costly development and support environment, independent software vendors may choose not to target the Linux desktop, leading to reduced choice for end users and an inability to compete with proprietary operating systems," the Free Standards Group said in a statement.

Original article found at slashdot