I have signed up here with the hope that I can become involved in helping to create the next and most universal OS ever made. I have tried Linux and found it a bit too daunting and user unfreindly although it's power is awesome, and it is a marvelous testimony to what can be achived in the open source community. I hope that the focus shifts to JOS just because of it's portability, and that being built from the ground up means that it can be designed as user freindly as we can Imagine it to be and that is where the power lies - with end users. This is where linux is coming unstuck I think. I would have loved to make a commitment to Open Source but I needed the few user freindly tools which only windows could provide.
But an OS like this could realy get the best of every world. I am no programmer (although I know a little C) but I would like to learn Java and contribute some code of my own perhaps one day, but I can best help with some documentation and beta testing I would also like to contribute to education and public relations. I am studying a special course to assist people who want to go to university but who dont have the formal education background. The course is being offered over the internet using a web based utility (called WebCT) which is written in Javascript, it has many bugs, and behaves like your usual scripted web browser interface (clunky). Now I am imagining a dedicated client side application written in Java with its own tcp/ip sockets and devoted to servicing the internet University market with an opensource tool that would give students every reason to use a Java specific OS. I have just been reading about universities and online learning and I believe the flood gates are about to burst. But the feild for course development and study tools leaves a lot to be desired. My sincerest thanks go out to all who have put an effort in to making this project what it has become so far, you have given us all something to look foward to.
Regards Steve Cathery