On Sat, Jun 12, 2010 at 01:12:55PM -0700, Chip Camden wrote: > > 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. -- Chad Perrin [ original content licensed OWL: http://owl.apotheon.org ]
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