Re: Definition of NetBSD users

[markucz%gmail.com@localhost]

> > s/Flash/FOO/ where FOO is something less desktopy: IBM WebSphere, Oracle
> > and Informix DBs or even something more trivial like Mathematica. What
> > about *that*?
> 
> Interesting question.
> 
> To some extent those are more self-contained proper applications, not
> insidious embedded plugins that suddenly go from displaying cheap
> animations to being able to harbour full code execution engines with
> unrestricted access to everything the user might do (though of course
> each might also include their own code interpreters or other means of
> allowing code to be downloaded and executed).
> 
> Personally I avoid even those kinds of applications where possible.  I
> even avoided proprietary unixes for many years until I got a Mac again.
> The only software I've bought since buying OS X are other system tools
> necessary to fill in gaps missing in OS X (parallels and synctogether).
> 
> Do those applications really make GNU/Linux systems (or even proprietary
> unix and unix-like systems) "easier" for users (either desktop or system)?
I generally share this view, too. However many desktop users (or should I say
"end users"?) don't care much if some piece of software they are using is
propietary or not. People want to watch videos on Youtube and when Flash
crashes Firefox they just say "NetBSD sucks 'cause I can't watch videos on
Youtube". The next step is to install some Linux distro, download NVidia's
drivers and play DOOM 3.

And then there're companies which have invested in propietary software. Even
if you're an administrator your boss may tell you "We use DB2", leaving no
room for discussion. Linux is so popular exactly because lots of commercial
software is readily available when/if (you think) you need it. I'm not sure
"easier" is the correct word for this.

Anyway, that was a bit off-topic. The essence of my question is if this is
the kind of desktop users NetBSD is targeting. If yes, then it's a lost cause
and, if I may add, fortunately. More generally, do we distiunguish between
users and consumers? I'd rather call the people described above as consumers.

> I have relatively unsophisticated needs as a desktop user, an I would be
> quite happy with what the average GNU/Linux desktop would deliver, if I
> didn't have a major "ick" response to Linux in general (and lots of GNU
> stuff too).  Oddly I feel far less "ick" towards OS X and I'd rather pay
> for it (in order to use slick top-end hardware and in order to not have
> to deal with maintaining my own desktop software from source) than to
> deal with the "ick" I get from GNU/Linux.
My feelings exactly. However, occasionally I also want to watch something on
Youtube :-) So Linux is my desktop system despite the icky feeling and NetBSD
is what I use for interesting stuff and hacking.

It's not a very technical answer either, but there you go!  :-)

Cheers