5 ms·

I am tired of people bashing Windows! Enough already. Your customers are using Windows, and that is all that matters. Anyone in the business of creating softwa

I am tired of people bashing Windows! Enough already. Your customers are using Windows, and that is all that matters. Anyone in the business of creating software (including online apps) must support Windows. It can not be ignored, and should be taken quite seriously.

cperciva 19y ago
Your customers are using Windows, and that is all that matters. My customers aren't using Windows. ... ok, I don't have any customers yet. But when I launch, FreeBSD and Linux will be the only supported operating systems (with other BSDs to follow as soon as someone cares enough to ask for them; and OS X on the near-term to-do list). Windows is too expensive to support; and in any case, people who care about security probably aren't using Windows anyway.
- mynameishere 19y ago
  people who care about security probably aren't using Windows anyway I can assure you that the DoD cares about security. I am curious about why Windows would be "too expensive" to support.
  - cperciva 19y ago
    I am curious about why Windows would be "too expensive" to support. Two reasons: 1. With system files, file locking, the registry, and similar complications, Windows makes backup software far more complicated than necessary -- in this case, "expensive" means "it would take a long time to write all the necessary code". 2. Windows users are generally less clueful, and therefore require more time-consuming hand-holding. EDIT: There's also another benefit to starting with FreeBSD: Many FreeBSD users know and trust the project's security officer, while most Windows users haven't a clue who I am. :-)
    - revolvingcur 19y ago
      "2. Windows users are generally less clueful, and therefore require more time-consuming hand-holding." And you earnestly believe that forcing them to use BSD would make them somehow better able to grok computing?
      - cperciva 19y ago
        Not at all. I'm not saying that I want my customers to use FreeBSD -- I'm saying that I don't want customers who use Windows.
Hexstream 19y ago
I'm sorry but it's difficult for me to take a laughable platform "quite seriously". (granted, Windows is a great platform for games). I can tell you I won't support Windows and will ignore it for the foreseeable future. I'm making web apps, for fuck's sake! (And if IE wants my support, then it just has to support standards better and my site will automagically support it, for the most part).
- LostInTheWoods 19y ago
  I'm not up to date on the current Windows OS or IE marketshare. I am pretty certain it is still in the high 90s for both. If you're comfortable ignoring that portion of the market, good luck to you.
  - cstejerean 19y ago
    High 90s? The problem is too many people continue to think that IE/Windows is still the only platform that matters.
- mixmax 19y ago
  I think this is a dangerous position to take of you want to run a business. In business it's about doing something that your customers want, and if they run IE as their browser they want your site to work on their computers. If it doesn't they will find one that does.
  - Zak 19y ago
    Sad but true. Unless your market is extremely computer-savvy, you will lose business by not supporting IE. You might be able to get away with "for best performance, use something else", but if major features don't work, it will hurt you.

cperciva 19y ago

Your customers are using Windows, and that is all that matters. My customers aren't using Windows. ... ok, I don't have any customers yet. But when I launch, FreeBSD and Linux will be the only supported operating systems (with other BSDs to follow as soon as someone cares enough to ask for them; and OS X on the near-term to-do list). Windows is too expensive to support; and in any case, people who care about security probably aren't using Windows anyway.

mynameishere 19y ago
people who care about security probably aren't using Windows anyway I can assure you that the DoD cares about security. I am curious about why Windows would be "too expensive" to support.
- cperciva 19y ago
  I am curious about why Windows would be "too expensive" to support. Two reasons: 1. With system files, file locking, the registry, and similar complications, Windows makes backup software far more complicated than necessary -- in this case, "expensive" means "it would take a long time to write all the necessary code". 2. Windows users are generally less clueful, and therefore require more time-consuming hand-holding. EDIT: There's also another benefit to starting with FreeBSD: Many FreeBSD users know and trust the project's security officer, while most Windows users haven't a clue who I am. :-)
  - revolvingcur 19y ago
    "2. Windows users are generally less clueful, and therefore require more time-consuming hand-holding." And you earnestly believe that forcing them to use BSD would make them somehow better able to grok computing?
    - cperciva 19y ago
      Not at all. I'm not saying that I want my customers to use FreeBSD -- I'm saying that I don't want customers who use Windows.

Hexstream 19y ago

I'm sorry but it's difficult for me to take a laughable platform "quite seriously". (granted, Windows is a great platform for games). I can tell you I won't support Windows and will ignore it for the foreseeable future. I'm making web apps, for fuck's sake! (And if IE wants my support, then it just has to support standards better and my site will automagically support it, for the most part).

LostInTheWoods 19y ago
I'm not up to date on the current Windows OS or IE marketshare. I am pretty certain it is still in the high 90s for both. If you're comfortable ignoring that portion of the market, good luck to you.
- cstejerean 19y ago
  High 90s? The problem is too many people continue to think that IE/Windows is still the only platform that matters.
mixmax 19y ago
I think this is a dangerous position to take of you want to run a business. In business it's about doing something that your customers want, and if they run IE as their browser they want your site to work on their computers. If it doesn't they will find one that does.
- Zak 19y ago
  Sad but true. Unless your market is extremely computer-savvy, you will lose business by not supporting IE. You might be able to get away with "for best performance, use something else", but if major features don't work, it will hurt you.