Maybe this is a troll, but I'll answer anyway. I would say 1, 2, 3, and 5 benefit from using plan9. 4 and 7 don't notice much whether they are using plan9. 6 aren't likely to get to use plan9, though their jobs would be a lot easier if they could use acid (the debugger, not the recreational substance).
> Which types of programmers? > > 1. Casual programmers, e.g. an admin who finds out a few lines of code > could lighten their burden > > 2. Programmers in need of a dirty-but-quick solution, e.g. a prototype > > 3. Hobby programmers, i.e. those who learn out of curiosity and aren't > "forced" to remain loyal to a specific system's quirks and general edginess > > 4. Reluctant programmers, i.e. those who aren't programmers per se but need > to write one program in the course of solving another--probably > non-computerish--problem > > 5. Ueberprogrammers, e.g. those who write one new OS in each circadian cycle > > 6. Plain vanilla programmers, i.e. people whose "job" revolves around > programming computers most of whom have to develop codebases of their > predecessors and are stuck with whatever the original designers thought was > best be it a Plan 9 "mod" or whatever > > 7. Abstract computer science programmers, i.e. those who want to test and > profile right here right now that brand new hybrid of stack, trie, and > tuatara they've thought up > > If Plan 9 is really an OS only for people of types (5) and (6), and some of > (2), well then my statement is true that "Plan 9 is a 'niche' OS." No one > should wonder why it isn't more widely used or even remembered in less > "elite" circles. Personally, I never wondered. But I don't really care either. -- John Stalker School of Mathematics Trinity College Dublin tel +353 1 896 1983 fax +353 1 896 2282
