Nailhead winces in pain...film at 11?
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| Author | Content |
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| helios Nov 04, 2007 4:30 AM EDT |
"... it must be remembered that Linux can never consolidate to a point where only a few distros exist. Not only is it impossible given the nature of Linux and the needs of its users, but even if it did happen, corporate issues/politics could eventually muddy the development process and possibly the public perception of Linux in general..." Superbly voiced and obviously well thought-out. I appreciate this piece far beyond any reasons of quality and skill...when someone writes well, it usually indicates that there is a passion, and if not that, a deep concern for the topic. For that alone I thank you for taking the time to talk to us about this. Your predictions are as accurate as your punctuation. Linux is caught in the classic pick-off play at first base. There are many, and I'm talking about more than any of us have really thought about, that have written the business plans, done the marketing research and prepared the legal groundwork to bring GNU/Linux to the "unwashed masses". The marketplace is a loud, unruly and sometimes unfriendly place to be. Those masses don't care much about your well-prepared displays, your carefully-worded advertisements and the months or years it has taken to bring them the product. No...when the doors open and the crowd spies the neatly-stacked Linux disks they've heard so much about, the rush is on and Lord help anyone who gets in between the consumer and the valued product. When the dust settles, the wounded are attended to and the mayhem is repaired and reassembled for the next day's business, it's important to remember some basic things about what we do. The consumer WILL muddy the waters and unsettle our little world...with great impact. I used to think the Wall Street and the Global Market was ignoring Linux...no, they are not ignoring us at all. They are waiting for the tipping point to occur....that golden moment when the public discovers this "new" way to operate their computers. THEN, we will get all the attention we "thought" we wanted. You won't be able to turn a corner without running headlong into a Linux advertisement. Those who are of a mind to and smart enough to recognize the opportunity have prepared their plans. I am one of them. http://www.fixedbylinux.com However, those who refuse to "do it our way" are going to find it tough sledding. This is not only a large and growing community, it is one that is hard-set in its ways and insistent that a few things not be ignored. The public-in-general doesn't understand FOSS, 0-3 or "free-as-in-freedom". In fact, they don't care about these things...we give the majority of them way too much credit. Way too much. They want to turn on their computers, do their work/play their games/surf thier prOn and then walk away without having to jump through a bunch of hoops. A small number of them will see our way of thinking but for the most part, they will not. THAT's where I think we may fail, if we do indeed fail at all. Will we confuse the new user with our philosophies and politics? Hell...given the choices, I would much rather deal with a blinking cursor and a grep command-string than a group of Linux Geeks demanding that I insert "GNU" in front of the word Linux every time I mention it. As they say on the ball field...If your going to sit close to the game, be prepared for an occasional screaming line drive in the face from time to time....being prepared by bringing a glove to the game isn't such a goofy idea then. Neither is respecting the culture that produced the fruit by which you prosper. h |
| dinotrac Nov 05, 2007 2:32 AM EDT |
>Will we confuse the new user with our philosophies and politics? Wrong question, I think. The right question is whether we'll waste a lot of time, energy, and psyche points trying to drill home a message to people who not only don't care, they don't want to care. I know mechanics who will give very passionate dissertations on the value of manufacturer vs aftermarket fuel pumps. My neighbor's a heating and air guy who has helped me with my house. He did a little copper work on our plumbing and made sure to mention the difference in the way that heating and air guys soldered copper as opposed to the kind of work plumbers "are able to get away with". These are the guys I go to when I need something done. If I do it myself, I ask their advice. They have passion for their work and they know it very well. Me, I don't really care that much. I want to drive my car and keep my house warm/cool without going broke. Most people look at their computer the way I look at my car and my furnace: they want the stupid thing to work. If it does, they don't much care about anything else. And you know what? That's ok. |
| jdixon Nov 05, 2007 6:13 AM EDT |
> And you know what? That's ok. Yep. Which doesn't mean don't make the message available. Just that there's little point in preaching it to those that have no interest. True freedom includes the freedom to ignore the philosophy behind something, after all. :) |
| dinotrac Nov 05, 2007 6:41 AM EDT |
>Yep. Which doesn't mean don't make the message available. Just that there's little point in preaching it to those that have no interest. Perzactly. |
| Bob_Robertson Nov 05, 2007 12:11 PM EDT |
> True freedom includes the freedom to ignore the philosophy behind something, after all. :) Ah, the freedom to be left _alone_! True political liberty. |
| gus3 Nov 05, 2007 4:21 PM EDT |
> True freedom includes the freedom to ignore the philosophy behind something, after all. :) But, but... What about Redmond? Won't someone think of the Redmondian children?!? |
| dinotrac Nov 05, 2007 5:58 PM EDT |
>Won't someone think of the Redmondian children?!? We're trying, gus. The first step is to quietly usher them into embrace of freedom. Once they breathe the air and notice that things are different there, maybe then we can explain why... If not, well, at least they're free and ignorance can be bliss. |
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