MENGUAL Jean-Philippe <mengualjean...@free.fr> writes: > Hypra developed […] a service to provide a free software based > computer, as nice as typical PCs, with a better uman support (better > privacy, including search engine, etc) > - 200 blind and old people now use Debian GNU/Linux, Libreoffice and > Firefox thanks to our system and human support.
That is a great service, thank you for maintaining it! > Three years later, I am afraid with two things. 1. Most free software > companies drop the desktop. It has consequences on privacy, and usae of > computers with a low Internet connection. This is not special to free-software companies. The desktop platforms are in sharp decline generally, as most software is provided either as Service as a Software Substitute, which strips autonomy from users <URL:https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/who-does-that-server-really-serve.html>, or mobile apps, where the computing platform is tightly controlled by the monopolists (Apple, Google, Amazon) instead of the user community. > Free software has not yet had success due to lack of human support > with the free software based products. Yes, free software certainly has gone backward in mind share, because the desktop platform shrank in importance and we do not yet have a decent foothold on the mobile and SaaSS platforms. The gains from the 1980s and 1990s need to be won all over again, and this time the monopolists are more prepared :-/ <URL:https://archive.org/details/EbenMoglen-TheHardwareWarsAndTheFutureOfFreeSoftware> > 2. Free software has less and less forces for accessibility and > universal design. Only 5 persons work on the accessibility stac. Kudos to those who do, and I agree with your implication that more people need to work on accessibility in free software. > Thanks in advance to anyone supporting tis initiative. Thank you for raising attention to this, and viva Hypra! -- \ “Those who write software only for pay should go hurt some | `\ other field.” —Erik Naggum, in _gnu.misc.discuss_ | _o__) | Ben Finney
