[ale] Is this True?

[jon.maddog.hall@gmail.com]

Michael,

I agree in principle with your answer but I think you (like a lot of people) are mixing "percentage of" with "number of" people.

As in a lot of "new technologies" (radio, automobiles, etc) computers started with universities, technical hobbyists, etc. and as they became more prevalent more people started to use them who could not build a crystal radio or change the oil in their car.   However as more and more radio stations and radios happened, more and more NUMBERS of people started learning about radio, became radio amateurs, etc.  It could be argued that the total percentage of early radio users who were TECHNICAL dipped, but as radio became more useful the NUMBERS (and perhaps the percentage) of TECHNICAL people went up.

I think this will also happen with FOSS.   We only have (at latest estimate) 5% of the (approximate) 2 billion desktops.   For the most part this is still the "have" nations...people who can afford Internet, computers, etc.   But there are (approximately) seven billion people, which means that over 5 billion people have not selected their desktop/laptop operating system yet.   Plus, of the ones that have selected their desktop OS, they are moving towards the good side of the Force, and once they experience the freedom of having access to the source code, they will want to know WHY it works, and not just how to use it.

Not everyone.   My mother only learned how to pump her own gas late in life.   She never understood "oil" in the car.  Pop took care of that.

But I have faith that we will find "whippersnappers" that will take the place of "old farts" as time goes on.   The "old farts" need to embrace them, listen to them, steer them and explain things....make them feel welcome, as they should be.

Warmest regards,

maddog

> On 06/17/2026 3:01 PM EDT Michael Hirsch via Ale <ale at ale.org> wrote:
>  
>  
> Wow, what a grumpy old man! 
>  
> I think he's half right.  The percentage of users who are power users is going down, but that is because the number of users is going up and appreciating 100% of the populace (except my mother) while the number of power users is holding pretty steady.  I think.  I have no hard data to back that up, but I do meet young people at work who know a lot.
>  
> I think there are a fairly small number of people with a natural affinity for technology at that level.  It used to be that all computer users were of that type, but now everyone is a user, but the power users are still out there.
>  
> Michael
> 
> On Mon, May 11, 2026, 11:40 AM lollipopman691 via Ale <ale at ale.org mailto:ale at ale.org> wrote:
> 
> > https://fireborn.mataroa.blog/blog/the-slow-death-of-the-power-user/
> > 
> > Hm. I am way more optimistic than this guy.  Maybe 'cause I am mostly a member of the very Technical Communities he claims "the cultural mass behind . . . has collapsed". From where I am sitting,we appear still very much alive.  And the 3D printing + MakerSpace folks are continuing the fight.  Right to Repair is still very much in the news and being litigated both in courts and in legislatures.
> > 
> > Doesn't mean we can relax though.
> > 
> > -- CHS
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ale mailing list
> > Ale at ale.org mailto:Ale at ale.org
> > https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> > See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
> > 
> _______________________________________________
> Ale mailing list
> Ale at ale.org
> https://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
> 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://mail.ale.org/pipermail/ale/attachments/20260618/10d8d764/attachment.htm>