Linux

Linux has made great strides in becoming a standard part of the computing landscape, but it has made far more inroads into the Unix space than into the Windows desktop space. Despite that, there's simply no doubt that the desktop—and Microsoft—are the current target of many open source software projects. These projects are conceived, executed, and extended to compete with Microsoft's desktop applications.

They're making progress, too, particularly with early-adopters and in IT-mandated vertical application environments, but as these projects mature, they're going to have to compete head-on with their far better funded and user-tested Microsoft counterparts on average users' desktops. To compete successfully, Linux needs a standardized platform and robust installation mechanisms so that users can choose software on its merits, without worrying about whether the software they want works on their particular Linux flavor or GUI choice.

The idea of choice is part of the bedrock of open source. But open source also wants to replace Microsoft on the desktop, or at least make a serious dent in Microsoft's hegemony. To do that, the open source community must recognize that its primary goals: freedom of choice, freedom of source code, and freedom to alter applications, are not the goals of the average user.

Choice, to most users, is the ability to choose any program they wish, and have it install and run seamlessly, without affecting any other application already installed; without requiring them to know which GUI they're running (or even that they're running a GUI); without altering path statements; without editing configuration files; without facing a command prompt; and without having to compile any source code; create any makefiles, or any other programming task that only developers are fond of.

they don't care that they can't see or change the source code to their current programs. They don't care that they don't actually own the software, as long as they only have to pay for it once. They don't care that most of their software comes from a single source. In short, they don't care about the fundamental issues behind open source software at all. But they do care about price, quality, availability, security, simplicity, and interoperability. Supply these, and open source will be the software choice.

So far, the open source community has been highly sensitive to the needs of power users, hobbyists, and centralized IT departments, but highly insensitive to the needs of average, technically (and sometimes literally) illiterate users. Many people will argue that the public should be educated to value software choice and to see Microsoft's impositions and removal of choice for what it is. But it is a grave mistake to stake Linux' future on the hope that millions of people will be inspired to software activism, that they will take the ideological high road when all they want is to buy a piece of software that works with a piece of electronics.