ESR's goodbye note

Posted Feb 22, 2007 4:05 UTC (Thu) by marduk (subscriber, #3831)
In reply to: ESR's goodbye note by sbergman27
Parent article: ESR's goodbye note

We do need to be going after the iPod generation.

What exactly is meant by iPod generation? Is there a general consensus to what that means? Personally, when I saw that phrase I think of person A who buys something because person B has one and person A thinks person B is cool. But person B only bought it because he thinks person C is cool and he/she has one, etc. etc.

Is that who we need to be going after: the cool kids?

(Forgive my ignorance. I've never actually owned an iPod.)

ESR's goodbye note

Posted Feb 22, 2007 15:38 UTC (Thu) by tjc (guest, #137) [Link] (4 responses)

What exactly is meant by iPod generation?

I think it means people who are perceived by some as having technical skills because they know how to navigate the menu system on an mp3 player.

Or maybe it's people who fool around with their mp3 player while driving (preferably not behind me).

Or maybe it's just marketing crap, and doesn't really mean anything.

ESR's goodbye note

Posted Feb 22, 2007 17:13 UTC (Thu) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link] (3 responses)

"iPod generation" is bunch of people who sold their freedom cheap. Why the hell free software guys should think about them at all - is beyond me. If they sold their freedom for cheap once - why do you think they'll fight for it the next time ?

Sure - if everyone in new generation will sell their freedom for cool iPod the free software will become extinct, but to try to go after iPod generation is wrong way to fight for freedom...

ESR's goodbye note

Posted Feb 23, 2007 2:02 UTC (Fri) by njs (subscriber, #40338) [Link] (2 responses)

>"iPod generation" is bunch of people who sold their freedom cheap. Why the hell free software guys should think about them at all - is beyond me. If they sold their freedom for cheap once - why do you think they'll fight for it the next time ?

Shall we also ostracize everyone who has ever used a proprietary system? After all, only those who grew up with Linux, and have never used anything else, can truly be ideologically pure.

(This principle would, unfortunately, rather decapitate the free software movement. I don't think RMS even qualifies? He wasn't born believing in free software...)

Don't abandon 'em. Educate 'em. Some of 'em might be smarter than you think.

ESR's goodbye note

Posted Feb 23, 2007 11:14 UTC (Fri) by khim (subscriber, #9252) [Link] (1 responses)

Shall we also ostracize everyone who has ever used a proprietary system? After all, only those who grew up with Linux, and have never used anything else, can truly be ideologically pure.

Huh ? Where have you got this idea ?

Don't abandon 'em. Educate 'em. Some of 'em might be smarter than you think.

This is the right idea.

I don't have a problem with a guys who own iPod. As long as they know that all problems in Linux<->iPod interaction are not Linux fault, but Apple's fault - they are not hopeless but... they are not part of "iPod generation"!

ESR's goodbye note

Posted Feb 24, 2007 13:57 UTC (Sat) by arcticwolf (guest, #8341) [Link]

From your above post:

'"iPod generation" is bunch of people who sold their freedom cheap. Why the hell free software guys should think about them at all - is beyond me.'

Pretty clear, if you ask me.