Scratching Itches
I subscribe to a sufficient number of RSS feeds to monitor free/libre software, which includes the release of new software.
In my daily readings much of what I see with new software is a single person scratching a single itch. Much of this type of software does not help many people in a meaningful way. Much of this software tends to duplicate existing software except for some nominal twist. Reinventing the wheel.
Part of the attraction of free/libre software is the freedom to explore and create. Nobody should be discouraged from those freedoms. The human species never has moved forward by people who demand the status quo. The world is changed by those who explore and step outside the box.
Much software in the ’nix world has had decades to evolve and mature. Not all needs and wants are fulfilled and hence the new software, but overall ’nix software is robust.
In the proprietary world much of this modern software is not about benefiting users but about data mining, tracking, and selling advertisements. So-called features are only carrot stick lures.
That does not mean new software is bad or should not exist, but related announcements create much noise.
Posted: Category: Usability Tagged: General
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