From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jun 13 00:40:14 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0ACC51065670 for ; Sun, 13 Jun 2010 00:40:14 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from perrin@apotheon.com) Received: from oproxy3-pub.bluehost.com (oproxy3-pub.bluehost.com [69.89.21.8]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with SMTP id CD6B58FC0A for ; Sun, 13 Jun 2010 00:40:13 +0000 (UTC) Received: (qmail 13197 invoked by uid 0); 13 Jun 2010 00:40:13 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO box543.bluehost.com) (74.220.219.143) by oproxy3.bluehost.com with SMTP; 13 Jun 2010 00:40:13 -0000 DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=default; d=apotheon.com; h=Date:From:To:Subject:Message-ID:Mail-Followup-To:References:Mime-Version:Content-Type:Content-Disposition:In-Reply-To:User-Agent:X-Identified-User; b=bpHtmdcYsBnnNZyOI/E5O4X7rYN1s2lR1oVpRUUwNWQFGgQLDsM+7PbLN7yr0dLsE9mUIbAZx6dHuA1x2PpcgBX5gkhCF6+Zfnk4odfVQZFM1Fe461+e+CFKRgGP2XhK; Received: from c-24-8-180-234.hsd1.co.comcast.net ([24.8.180.234] helo=kukaburra.hydra) by box543.bluehost.com with esmtpsa (TLSv1:AES256-SHA:256) (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1ONbFE-0006Sw-8P for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Sat, 12 Jun 2010 18:40:13 -0600 Received: by kukaburra.hydra (sSMTP sendmail emulation); Sat, 12 Jun 2010 18:39:34 -0600 Date: Sat, 12 Jun 2010 18:39:34 -0600 From: Chad Perrin To: FreeBSD Questions Message-ID: <20100613003934.GB54426@guilt.hydra> Mail-Followup-To: FreeBSD Questions References: <86eigdx6vl.fsf@red.stonehenge.com> <4C13320C.5090700@infracaninophile.co.uk> <20100612153813.GA53180@guilt.hydra> <4C13C737.6050400@infracaninophile.co.uk> <20100612201255.GD97434@libertas.local.camdensoftware.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/signed; micalg=pgp-sha1; protocol="application/pgp-signature"; boundary="6sX45UoQRIJXqkqR" Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20100612201255.GD97434@libertas.local.camdensoftware.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i X-Identified-User: {2737:box543.bluehost.com:apotheon:apotheon.org} {sentby:smtp auth 24.8.180.234 authed with ren@apotheon.org} Subject: Re: freebsd - for the win X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2010 00:40:14 -0000 --6sX45UoQRIJXqkqR Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable On Sat, Jun 12, 2010 at 01:12:55PM -0700, Chip Camden wrote: >=20 > Call me fatalistic, but I think there is a direct relationship between > FreeBSD's high quality and it's lack of popularity. If it catered to the > common herd, its compromises would be many. I believe there is such a relationship, too. I think the obvious way to interpret this recognition of the relationship is as a causal relationship where lack of popularity is what (helps/makes) FreeBSD maintain higher quality, but I think that's mostly the wrong way around. Rather, it is the focus on quality over quantity that keeps it "unpopular" (relative to other OSes, anyway). I also believe that is the correct decision, without reservation. There are things that could be done to improve FreeBSD's suitability and attractiveness to a wider audience without sacrificing that focus on quality at all -- that could, in fact, improve that attractiveness while serving the focus in quality. Such things tend to get neglected, though, and I think it is in part because of a negative reaction to the idea that populism involves sacrifices of quality. Popularity, per se, does not result in poorer quality. Populism, however, does -- and both greater popularity *and* a desire for greater popularity can create populism. Note that I'm using the term "populism" in a pejorative, apolitical sense, and not in the sense of advocacy for the rights of the people, et cetera. Anyway . . . for my OS of choice (FreeBSD at the moment), I'd much rather err on the side of elitism and quality than on that of egalitarianism and quantity. I just find the occasional statement (which I do *not* think is what you were saying) that we should actively *avoid* popularity for the sake of quality quite annoying. I just find the occasional statement (which I do *not* think is what you were saying) that we should actively *avoid* popularity for the sake of quality . . . well, I find it quite annoying. --=20 Chad Perrin [ original content licensed OWL: http://owl.apotheon.org ] --6sX45UoQRIJXqkqR Content-Type: application/pgp-signature Content-Disposition: inline -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v2.0.14 (FreeBSD) iEYEARECAAYFAkwUKMYACgkQ9mn/Pj01uKWwZgCeMyu1xalh414GCWtLVS+Au+3h nFMAniWAY9OjceuJqM8oRPlRCAvU8wUG =n80w -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --6sX45UoQRIJXqkqR--