3 ms·

If something has to be regulated as public utility it might as well be a public utility. That this cornered "market" will never produce competition is clear eno

If something has to be regulated as public utility it might as well be a public utility. That this cornered "market" will never produce competition is clear enough. But there has never been a device so intimately coupled with the lives of so many people. Past approaches dont apply to new challenges. The question is how can the foss community use its limited resources to facilitate a "third way". There is some precedent in this respect from the fediverse/mastodon experience. The easy availability of a near substitute removes the TINA excuse from various stakeholders and policy makers. Its neither a concrete path nor a certainty. My comment was simply that people should not create further obstacles by pursuing self-indulgent agendas

FirmwareBurner 3y ago
>The question is how can the foss community use its limited resources to facilitate a "third way". It can't, you and I already answered that it's impossible to enter the mobile market withtout any government intervention to break up the existing duopoly. Even the most hardcore Linux/FOSS fans don't daily drive FOSS Linux phones because they suck big time and have quirks impossible to live with, so mostly use iPhone or degoogled Androids, let alone have mainstream average users use them.
- fsflover 3y ago
  > Even the most hardcore Linux/FOSS fans don't daily drive FOSS Linux phones because they suck big time and have quirks impossible to live with This is plain false. Sent from my Librem 5, which I daily drive. You can find more people like me in HN comments of other related submissions.
  - FirmwareBurner 3y ago
    >This is plain false. Sent from my Librem 5, which I daily drive. But what does this prove? The market share isn't there for these devices. Even the vast majority of hardcore Linux fans daily drive iPhones or Androids and only use those toys for tinkering. You being a Librem 5 user doesn't move the needle on how niche these devices are in the wild.
    - fsflover 3y ago
      You shifted goals. The share is low, but FOSS enthusiasts do use those phones as daily drivers and constantly improve them. This is exactly how many innovations start.
      - FirmwareBurner 3y ago
        >but FOSS enthusiasts do use those phones as daily drivers and constantly improve them How many users other than you use FOSS phones? Is ist a sizable market or are we talking about a rounding error part of niche hobby? Just judging by the comments here you seem to be the only user on HN with one, and HN is already a super niche community of FOSS enthusiasts, but even here most use iOS devices because people like using stuff that already works with the mainstream apps.
        fsflover 3y ago
        > Just judging by the comments here you seem to be the only user on HN with one Are you really so inattentive that you didn't see this https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37042238 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37042238? And you could find many more on HN if you actually wanted: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35850098 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35850098, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29401950 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29401950, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24959506 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24959506, https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&query=librem%205%20daily%20driver&sort=byPopularity&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu.... Also a lot of people are waiting when these phones become better daily drivers: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&query=linux%20phone%20daily&sort=byPopularity&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu... > Is ist a sizable market Why does it matter? Every breakthrough starts with a niche community (unless it comes from large corporations).

FirmwareBurner 3y ago

>The question is how can the foss community use its limited resources to facilitate a "third way". It can't, you and I already answered that it's impossible to enter the mobile market withtout any government intervention to break up the existing duopoly. Even the most hardcore Linux/FOSS fans don't daily drive FOSS Linux phones because they suck big time and have quirks impossible to live with, so mostly use iPhone or degoogled Androids, let alone have mainstream average users use them.

fsflover 3y ago
> Even the most hardcore Linux/FOSS fans don't daily drive FOSS Linux phones because they suck big time and have quirks impossible to live with This is plain false. Sent from my Librem 5, which I daily drive. You can find more people like me in HN comments of other related submissions.
- FirmwareBurner 3y ago
  >This is plain false. Sent from my Librem 5, which I daily drive. But what does this prove? The market share isn't there for these devices. Even the vast majority of hardcore Linux fans daily drive iPhones or Androids and only use those toys for tinkering. You being a Librem 5 user doesn't move the needle on how niche these devices are in the wild.
  - fsflover 3y ago
    You shifted goals. The share is low, but FOSS enthusiasts do use those phones as daily drivers and constantly improve them. This is exactly how many innovations start.
    - FirmwareBurner 3y ago
      >but FOSS enthusiasts do use those phones as daily drivers and constantly improve them How many users other than you use FOSS phones? Is ist a sizable market or are we talking about a rounding error part of niche hobby? Just judging by the comments here you seem to be the only user on HN with one, and HN is already a super niche community of FOSS enthusiasts, but even here most use iOS devices because people like using stuff that already works with the mainstream apps.
      - fsflover 3y ago
        > Just judging by the comments here you seem to be the only user on HN with one Are you really so inattentive that you didn't see this https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37042238 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37042238? And you could find many more on HN if you actually wanted: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35850098 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35850098, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29401950 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29401950, https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24959506 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24959506, https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&query=librem%205%20daily%20driver&sort=byPopularity&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu.... Also a lot of people are waiting when these phones become better daily drivers: https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&query=linux%20phone%20daily&sort=byPopularity&type=comment https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu... > Is ist a sizable market Why does it matter? Every breakthrough starts with a niche community (unless it comes from large corporations).