Re: [Fsfe-uk] Explanation of Tivosiation and problems - comments sought

[Chris Croughton]

On Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 01:33:06PM +0000, Nic James Ferrier wrote:
> Chris Croughton <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> > Free as in freedom or as in beer?  I agree that many people wouldn't
> > have got started if they'd had to buy the software (that was one of my
> > main motivations for starting to use GCC, that it didn't cost me
> > anything), but how many of them actually go so far as to modify and
> > improve the code?  Your "a lot" could mean anything over about 10.
> 
> 1000s if not 100s of thouands.
> 
> Look at RT for GCC or the Changlog. Just a year's worth includes many,
> many people.

I see nothing in there which says who got started because of Free
Software, most of the names I recognise seem to have been software
professionals long before there was any such thing.

> > You would buy your spares and servicing from unqualified people?  Remind
> > me not to travel in any vehicle you've had serviced!
> 
> There are lots of people like this. I know 10 people who have built
> their own cars (from land rovers to beach buggys). Surely you are well
> aware of automechanics being a popular hobby?

It was, it seems a lot less so now because of regulations.  Even I used
to do a lot of my own servicing (even took an SU twin carb to bits,
cleaned it and put it back together, and it worked -- I'm fine with
electrics but I am not at all mechanically talented or experienced) but
I wouldn't be allowed to do it now.  And I wouldn't let most of them
work on my car or supply my spares.

Not that authorised dealers are always trustworthy, but they can be (and
are) sued for failing to do the work correctly (and any blame rests on
them, whereas if you tell the police "a mate did it for me" they'll
blame you for it anyway).

Hmm, perhaps there is a comparison there.  Cars started off as
complicated things which only a few people understood, then became
common enough that a lot of ordinary people did their own servicing, and
then regulations came in with the mass market and most people not
knowing how to use (let alone service) them properly.  Yes, I suspect
that we are indeed seeing the end of the mass market general-purpose
computer and a rise of more specialised machines, but I also see this as
inevitable (and given the time wasted by the millions who don't know
anything about their PCs this is not a bad thing in my view).

I mean why would anyone want to run Linux on an X-Box, apart from the
challenge?  I can buy a much faster PC for the same price.  If I want
the challenge there's plenty of other platforms which are more useful
(or I could back-port it to a MicroVAX, which would be fun although not
very useful).

Chris C