Monday, January 1st, 2007, 4:53 pm
Being Widepread Versus Being Popular
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S another year opens, I would like to wish all the readers a happy and joyous new year. I am wishing and hoping to see a continued trend where not only is Open Source being promoted (2006 was the year of desktop Linux in my eyes), but also Freedom gets properly understood, appreciated, and embraced.
I could probably count on hand the number of times I used Windows and other proprietary software this year. I never use Windows, yet I am fairly familiar and even proficient with it, owing to memory. Yes, it is not because it’s intuitive. It’s because it has neither changed much nor evolved for a decade. It remained widespread for the same reason Britney Spears and Macdonald’s are popular (or just “successful”).
I’ll close with an odd and sarcastic statement.
“Windows is used by the most people, so it must be the best“, says Hugh-Gotta B. Kiddin Mae.
Make prevalence no indication of quality. Same with cost. If needed, make it your new year’s resolution. Again I say:
HAPPY NEW YEAR
