From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Aug 12 09:54:45 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C9AD737B401 for ; Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:54:45 -0700 (PDT) Received: from wilbur.25thandClement.com (wilbur.25thandclement.com [64.62.167.198]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 36B2A43F93 for ; Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:54:45 -0700 (PDT) (envelope-from william@wilbur.25thandClement.com) Received: from wilbur.25thandClement.com (william@localhost [IPv6:::1]) h7CGsiMT002801 (version=TLSv1/SSLv3 cipher=DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA bits=256 verify=NO); Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:54:44 -0700 (PDT) Received: (from william@localhost) by wilbur.25thandClement.com (8.12.9/8.12.9/Submit) id h7CGshV3025847; Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:54:44 -0700 (PDT) Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 09:54:43 -0700 From: William Ahern To: Wes Kussmaul Message-ID: <20030812165443.GA1229@wilbur.25thandClement.com> References: <200308090347.55304.racerx@makeworld.com> <3F35FB5C.8050205@thebigchoice.com> <12cd01c360dc$ac6b7160$6400a8c0@dell01> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <12cd01c360dc$ac6b7160$6400a8c0@dell01> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i cc: Chris cc: misc@openbsd.org cc: netbsd-help@netbsd.org cc: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG cc: Matt Heath Subject: Re: Think outside of the box (Gawd, I hate that term) X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 16:54:46 -0000 On Tue, Aug 12, 2003 at 10:18:39AM -0400, Wes Kussmaul wrote: > Matt Heath wrote in response to Chris's outside-the-box challenge: > > > I use plan9 as my development platform as it is a delight to use. > > > > Don't expect eye candy, it is an OS to get work done. > > > If the subject is competing in the domain of Gates and Jobs, then the notion > of a computer is subsumed by the concept of media appliance. Even in the > workplace where an OS exists to get work done, colorful skins and simple > clickable interfaces sell, while practical command-driven interfaces don't. > > The open source community is big enough to support those who don't want eye > candy and those who do; those who like to build tools and those who enjoy > the sport of the media marketplace. The two groups need to respect each > other. > > Chris's audience, the marketplace sports fans who would rather be > participants in the game, ought to start with the question, "What are the > vulnerabilities of the players with dominant market share?" It turns out > that there are huge vulnerabilities. There always are. (Remember when IBM > was invincible? Remember how in the midst of that consensus IBM hit the > wall? Then remember how VAX/VMS was unstoppable?) Success breeds blindness, > revenue model lock-in, and other vulnerabilities. > success doesn't breed blindness. that's an improper valuation, tainted w/ envy. successful businesses just follow the money. read "The Innovator's Dilemma". - Bill