opinion

You’re a Graph Point

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These terms distinguish operating systems by the problems they solve for the user. However, a disturbing trend is emerging in which the user is not the party whose problems are being solved, and perhaps this calls for a new term. I propose “vendor-purpose operating system”.

Source: General-purpose OS, special-purpose OS, and now: vendor-purpose OS | Drew DeVault’s Blog

In this instance, you’re not even the vendor’s _user_, that title goes to whomever the vendor is selling to, i.e. the client who is using the OS at scale.

You’re now a byproduct. You’re just something for the vendor to brag about on quarterly meetings with Wall Street.

You’re a Graph Point Read More »

Of wallpapers and what covers them

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I keep seeing all these posts about “Share your desktop” or “10 best Linux wallpapers.” or “Minimalist desktops”.

Sure they’re all fun, and you certainly want your working environment to look pretty… but ultimately, spending hours upon hours cajoling your desktop into something you can admire is a waste of time.

Why? Because when you’re doing actual work, you’re not looking at your desktop. You’re looking at a browser. You’re looking at a terminal, or a text editor. You’re looking at something other than your wallpaper.

Any area of your screen not covered by windows is wasted space. This explain the popularity of tiling window managers, which help manage what you see at any given time with a minimum of fuss.

But hey, it’s just my opinion.

Of wallpapers and what covers them Read More »