> Most people using computers would have no chance of making the software they are using.
Building software and selling it is ok. The issue comes comes when you no longer sells it, but rent it instead, which is what the current subscription trend is about. Some are ok with renting, but some prefers to buy it and own the current version. They don't expect the seller to maintain it for free (which no one does in the real world), and are perfectly fine buying a new version when the old one isn't working anymore, like when people buy a new pair of shoes. But companies like Adobe or Microsoft don't like that.
> Being able to use your computer the way you need without being a programmer is essential for a newcomer.
I agree, but every tool comes with a manual. And I strongly believe that a general purpose computer is a specialized tool. MacOS and Windows are not easy either. They have an army of customer agents, have published lots of training content, and added lots of safeguards to give the illusion that the computer is easy to use. But anyone who does not have a tech person close will struggle. To get what you want is to build a console, like the chromebook.
> For example making websites was something that anybody could do in the past
I think that because there's no money incentive to do it. Everyone is on platform like Facebook, X, or Linkedin.
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I fully agree on making something easy for people that just want to work on something, and that's why you build specialized interface hiding anything that's not relevant. But there's cases that requires more flexibility and access to behind-the-scenes.
> Building software and selling it is ok. The issue comes when you no longer sells it, but rent it instead, which is what the current subscription trend is about.
I couldn't agree more, and that's why I like the great ecosystem of pay-once quality apps for MacOS, which you can get for a fair price. Instead of subscribing to Photoshop and installing spyware, I can buy Affinity Photo for a very fair price. Same thing with all kinds of pro or prosumer software. Could this be a path for FreeBSD for people who like that kind of deal, but as an alternative to Apple? Apple will never make it easier to install a different OS on their hardware, because their business model is hardware+OS.
If you provide people with a GUI for doing things, you vastly increase the amounts of newcomers you can service. The terminal scares most people, because they are worried about destroying their computer. Which they have reason to.
Or maybe FreeBSD could become a community where also the developers pay each other for software? This would provide incentive for developer effort where it is most needed. First for the basic tools and later to more and more specialized and end-user focused tools. Compared to FOSS, where developers are just focused on what they think is interesting to work on and there's no other incentive.
> MacOS and Windows are not easy either.
It was super easy for me to switch to MacOS after years of Windows. Most newcomers to FreeBSD wouldn't be people who have never used a computer. They'll be familiar with the mouse, GUI buttons, etc.
> But there's cases that requires more flexibility and access to behind-the-scenes.
I agree, and these functions should always be accessible graphically. Think 3D modeling software, music production software, or spreadsheets. Even for iOS Safari, you can access extremely detailed settings with a graphical interface. No need to type about:flags
Building software and selling it is ok. The issue comes comes when you no longer sells it, but rent it instead, which is what the current subscription trend is about. Some are ok with renting, but some prefers to buy it and own the current version. They don't expect the seller to maintain it for free (which no one does in the real world), and are perfectly fine buying a new version when the old one isn't working anymore, like when people buy a new pair of shoes. But companies like Adobe or Microsoft don't like that.
> Being able to use your computer the way you need without being a programmer is essential for a newcomer.
I agree, but every tool comes with a manual. And I strongly believe that a general purpose computer is a specialized tool. MacOS and Windows are not easy either. They have an army of customer agents, have published lots of training content, and added lots of safeguards to give the illusion that the computer is easy to use. But anyone who does not have a tech person close will struggle. To get what you want is to build a console, like the chromebook.
> For example making websites was something that anybody could do in the past
I think that because there's no money incentive to do it. Everyone is on platform like Facebook, X, or Linkedin.
###
I fully agree on making something easy for people that just want to work on something, and that's why you build specialized interface hiding anything that's not relevant. But there's cases that requires more flexibility and access to behind-the-scenes.