On Wed, 2004-12-08 at 16:18 -0600, Ron Johnson wrote:
The difference between the Linux ecosystem and the Windows ecosystem, though, is that there isn't a coerced monopoly of not only the OS but the core apps. Thus, if the GNOME or Evo or OOo or Mozilla teams start to make insecure design decisions, people will move to different s/w: KDE, KMail, KOffice, AbiWord, Gnumeric, Konqueror, etc, or even fork the projects. Thus, the "free marketplace of ideas" will keep us secure.
I agree that the technically clued in the linux world will move.
I don't agree that the masses of people who see understanding computer
issues as not worth their time, will move in response to such a thing.
And I do expect these people to be moving to linux eventually. To them,
computer choices will probably remain mostly a matter of short-term
convenience (EG: "What comes preinstalled? I'll just use that then -
it's easier than installing something myself"), as well as a popularity
contest ("only weirdos use that uncommon stuff").
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