Contrary to a few I don't see things as bleak.
IT has always had a tendency to cycle, especially regarding freedom and centralization. OSes are not different in this regard.
In the past we've had mainframes, proprietary Unix systems and eventually mini servers (still huge to today's standards). Yet, I'd wager most of you aren't running AIX right now, or AT&T Unix.
You're on the FreeBSD forums, so I suppose you have at least one FreeBSD system out there. Possibly some Linux systems as well. These OSes were born out of one of the cycle of proprietary systems,
big centralized mainframes from the 90's and before. There has been an age of freedom and decentralization, now there's an age of appropriation and centralization coming. It has already begun.
Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft have pushed towards centralization and proprietary OSes. Clouds, App Stores, "free" software (at the cost of ones soul) and much more has become mainstream.
That doesn't mean the free OSes will all suddenly perish, but they will get less popular and a few will be eventually appropriated into more-or-less proprietary systems. Android is one of these, Mac OS/IOS
another. Linux certainly looks like it may get transformed into one of these entirely as well, but it's hard to predict the future. For all we know eventually one of the BSDs will suffer the same fate.
Many of the great accomplishments in the computer world have been payed for by companies. BSD and Linux systems were inspired by the Unix ancestors. Plasma is inspired by the Windows GUI.
The wave that has started will eventually turn into a wave of freedom and decentralization again. No matter what happens, the good ideas will survive in the form of really free software, the bad ones will
perish along with the OS it came with.
TL/DR: Companies will pay for new ideas, free software will take them over and do it better. Great times ahead!
IT has always had a tendency to cycle, especially regarding freedom and centralization. OSes are not different in this regard.
In the past we've had mainframes, proprietary Unix systems and eventually mini servers (still huge to today's standards). Yet, I'd wager most of you aren't running AIX right now, or AT&T Unix.
You're on the FreeBSD forums, so I suppose you have at least one FreeBSD system out there. Possibly some Linux systems as well. These OSes were born out of one of the cycle of proprietary systems,
big centralized mainframes from the 90's and before. There has been an age of freedom and decentralization, now there's an age of appropriation and centralization coming. It has already begun.
Amazon, Apple, Google and Microsoft have pushed towards centralization and proprietary OSes. Clouds, App Stores, "free" software (at the cost of ones soul) and much more has become mainstream.
That doesn't mean the free OSes will all suddenly perish, but they will get less popular and a few will be eventually appropriated into more-or-less proprietary systems. Android is one of these, Mac OS/IOS
another. Linux certainly looks like it may get transformed into one of these entirely as well, but it's hard to predict the future. For all we know eventually one of the BSDs will suffer the same fate.
Many of the great accomplishments in the computer world have been payed for by companies. BSD and Linux systems were inspired by the Unix ancestors. Plasma is inspired by the Windows GUI.
The wave that has started will eventually turn into a wave of freedom and decentralization again. No matter what happens, the good ideas will survive in the form of really free software, the bad ones will
perish along with the OS it came with.
TL/DR: Companies will pay for new ideas, free software will take them over and do it better. Great times ahead!