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0 pointsmaurice2k2y ago0 comments

That's exactly what I think about RMS, FSF and GNU.

I'm mostly working with younger people (like 20-30 years old) and well, they don't really know what GNU or the FSF is.

As a Linux user I'm using GNU software all day but for most people it's just "linux command line tools". It's fine and if they do the job, well done! But this doesn't help the FSF or the GNU project.

A lot of these tools have pretty good documentation but when you visit one of the GNU websites you feel like it's 1995 again. It's more like man pages in HTML. Actually same for Apache Software Foundation.

And this is not getting better...

A start would be a modern representation of the tools and the ideas behind free software, maybe with a bit less philosophy. GNU needs to get a bit "cooler".

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chii2y ago

> but for most people it's just "linux command line tools"

the complaint that stallman had for the name `linux` instead of his preferred `GNU/Linux` had this consequence because the people who own linux chose not to adopt his preferred branding.

Branding and marketing is really important, no matter what the field is. Especially for consumers who tend to be clueless most of the time about the underlying technologies. It's why Intel's genius is not only in processor design, but the fact that they foresaw the issue, and started marketing the "Intel Inside"(tm) branding, which put them on the table from a consumer perspective.

achenet2y ago

speaking as someone who quite enjoys the GNU website [0], I would rather they not start gunking everything up with "a CoOl LoOkInG JaVaScRiPt CaRoUsEl" like every other SaaS website out there.

[0] for example: https://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/ed-msg.en.html

maurice2kOP2y ago

I guess you're the audience they're targeting with this nerdy content :-)

I can also lightly smile but give this to a 20 or 30 year old person. They won't understand it.

achenet2y ago

I just turned 31.

dnh442y ago

I understand your sentiment and I agree with you, but at the same time if we, as a community and as a society, are incapable of caring about the principles and philosophy behind free software because the websites aren't cool enough, then we (as a community or society) will ultimately deserve whatever dystopian fate awaits us.

maurice2kOP2y ago

Fully agree, but I doubt this is not the reality we live in... ;-)

concordDance2y ago

Whats wrong with 1995 in this context?

maurice2kOP2y ago

Nothing is wrong with 1995 and I really liked the time when content was king.

But younger people looking at Times New Roman websites is like telling them 'use man pages'.

I think GNU is not doing themselves a favor in being so old school. I'm not saying they should use (nonfree scnr) JavaScript bloated websites but a more modern look is not that complicate and achievable with free HTML and CSS standards.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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chii2y ago

> but for most people it's just "linux command line tools"

the complaint that stallman had for the name `linux` instead of his preferred `GNU/Linux` had this consequence because the people who own linux chose not to adopt his preferred branding.

achenet2y ago

speaking as someone who quite enjoys the GNU website [0], I would rather they not start gunking everything up with "a CoOl LoOkInG JaVaScRiPt CaRoUsEl" like every other SaaS website out there.

[0] for example: https://www.gnu.org/fun/jokes/ed-msg.en.html

maurice2kOP2y ago

I guess you're the audience they're targeting with this nerdy content :-)

I can also lightly smile but give this to a 20 or 30 year old person. They won't understand it.

achenet2y ago

I just turned 31.

dnh442y ago

maurice2kOP2y ago

Fully agree, but I doubt this is not the reality we live in... ;-)

concordDance2y ago

Whats wrong with 1995 in this context?

maurice2kOP2y ago

Nothing is wrong with 1995 and I really liked the time when content was king.

But younger people looking at Times New Roman websites is like telling them 'use man pages'.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse