Where is FreeBSD going?

[Brett Glass]

At 04:00 PM 1/5/2004, Munden, Randall J wrote:

>I think this is what is on my mind these days.  I'm preparing to load
>up some machines for production soon (I've already put it off for too
>long waiting for 5-STABLE) and I don't like what I'm seeing -- with 
>both the mud slinging here and the performance in the lab (mostly 
>anecdotal).

I don't think that *this* conversation is mud slinging. What's
happening on Slashdot, on the other hand, is.

>> 
>> FreeBSD also keeps falling farther and farther behind Linux 
>> in the area of advocacy (and, hence, corporate adoption). 
>> Again, this is a governance 
>> issue. Many of the developers actually have an antipathy 
>> toward advocacy, 
>> since they dislike answering newbie FAQs and don't want too 
>> many people to adopt the OS for fear that it'll overcrowd 
>> their "sandbox." So, some of the criticism is actually valid.
>
>I noticed it too but I just chalked it up to being crazy busy
>and not paying much attention.

Nope, it's not because you're too busy. It's true. FreeBSD is
getting fewer mentions in the mainstream press, and fewer
commercial apps, lately. Linux is mentioned as if it was the
ONLY alternative to Windows. Work is needed to raise FreeBSD's
profile.

--Brett