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by wiz21c 2762 days ago
>> Fragmentation also hurts the ecosystem. Just look at Linux distributions or desktop environments to see the effects.

I don't think so. I've never felt that having 10 linux distributions was a problem, I just can pick between at least two super robust choices : Debain, RedHat. I can even choose between inkscape, krita, gimp. Or KDE and Gnome...

You can argue that progress would be faster if we have less choices but more choices also means more developpers...
3 comments
PurpleRamen 2762 days ago
Choice is a process which can hurt when it takes too long or when you lack the ability to execute the process itself or in a good manner.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overchoice and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis_paralysis

This is BTW no limited to OSS but AFAIK it comes from sales-research. People confronted with to many products of similar type can end in a deadlock, avoiding those products or even start to avoid the whole category.

> You can argue that progress would be faster if we have less choices but more choices also means more developpers...

More developers reinventing the wheel doesn't automatically make the wheels faster. It can mean healthy competition, but it also can mean wasted ressources. It's case by case.

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wiz21c 2761 days ago
yup, now that I read myself again, I see my bias. For me, more developpers working on several "identical" GPL'ed software makes the viability of the GPL software better... So, well, I'm biased :-)
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lvncelot 2762 days ago
On the one hand, I agree. I've spent whole days just checking out software alternatives, booting new distros, DEs, hosting webapps, just to see what they were like, and it's always great fun.

On the other hand it can hurt - for example I'd like to have my main workstation running mainly one gui framework. (Or at least, most of the software). But the KDE/GTK split makes the most popular and sensible software to use for most cases pretty much evenly distributed between those two. (Though this is obviously not a major issue, just an example).

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oblio 2762 days ago
It definitely hurts mainstream adoption. And it also kills distribution of most commercial desktop applications.
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