Date: Tue, 1 May 2012 09:26:30 +0200 (CEST) From: Wojciech Puchar <wojtek@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl> To: Garrett Cooper <yanegomi@gmail.com> Cc: Rick Macklem <rmacklem@uoguelph.ca>, Jerry McAllister <jerrymc@msu.edu>, "freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org" <freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org>, Mehmet Erol Sanliturk <m.e.sanliturk@gmail.com>, Steven Hartland <killing@multiplay.co.uk>, Andy Young <ayoung@mosaicarchive.com>, Chris Rees <utisoft@gmail.com> Subject: Re: Ways to promote FreeBSD? Message-ID: <alpine.BSF.2.00.1205010913560.6561@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl> In-Reply-To: <B89F55FB-7E48-494D-9BA9-F10AE0438D00@gmail.com> References: <092518C9B5214244805F7D2022A4F663@multiplay.co.uk> <1168656383.74335.1335567528359.JavaMail.root@erie.cs.uoguelph.ca> <CAOgwaMseWCRmsEE1QwyqsZTjU8p-=k1ftuJLktv3O9oZR_6TjA@mail.gmail.com> <alpine.BSF.2.00.1204291930120.1760@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl> <CADLo83_1p%2BDeG3pTr4BuoNbxr_g0WdDVDvg%2BBYx6PxmKS9px2Q@mail.gmail.com> <5E0882E0-405F-46AC-9290-8A195FECD2F4@gmail.com> <alpine.BSF.2.00.1204300715230.30254@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl> <74720B93-61ED-4CA4-88C1-173356742F3A@gmail.com> <alpine.BSF.2.00.1205010703220.5909@wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl> <B89F55FB-7E48-494D-9BA9-F10AE0438D00@gmail.com>
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> > Joe user, students, etc really don't care about the underlying system as long as the GUIs obscure this. Indeed you are right. Actually they don't completely know what happens. This is normal, but the poor word in your sentence is "students". Unfortunately, from my observations, this is completely true. >OSX is a prime example of this (the OSX CLI has sucked for a long time). > Only sysadmin and CLI power users care how things like this are >organized. I think this is the usability boat that's been missed for a >while on *nix. True. And my point is - don't promote FreeBSD in that area. Mac OS X, Windows, "Modern" linux distros will always be "better" than FreeBSD when judged by joe user who "owns" computer. Yes i used parantheses in "owns" because he/she don't really own her computer, just paid for it and is enslaved. FreeBSD can be great when used by "joe user" BUT when joe user does not install it, configure it or know root password at all, but QUALIFIED sysadmin configured everything for joe. "Joe" may use thin client to connect to timesharing server with FreeBSD and this is my favourite example. (actually i use X terminal made from obsolete PCs line pentium 133-500MHz PII, which are intentionally downclocked and fans removed, disks removed - SILENCE, low power). Even with trendy GUI (but configured by root user, not joe user) it works quick, fast and predictable with cost of servicing close to zero. This is right target for FreeBSD "advertising" IMHO, but not "personal computer" market. Again i used parantheses for "personal computer" as for many years users don't completely know what is going on on "their" computers and are owned by them. Do you now finally understood what i mean and why i am against your kind of "promotion"? You won't promote Ferrari for people that now use everyday small city car. Inexperienced driver can only kill him/herself given top line Ferrari, and trying to make Ferrari to by "easy to use" will badly reduce it's performance. > >> Solaris 11 was just an example of overadvertised things that are just useless. Linux is "trendy" and quality is second thing, but it had to be everywhere including things that should not have OS at all, like VoIP gateway. > > Sun isn't Oracle, so I don't expect them to put forth a decent general purpose OS offering. As far as Linux is concerned, in some ways it's good Linux has become a niche OS, and in some ways it's bad, but you can't take back the fact that it is what it is right now. Sun IS Oracle from some time.
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