I think there’s an awareness of being screwed over on a societal level, but it’s on a climate change-like “I know it’d bad but don’t see intuitive links to my actions” way.
People will enjoy the “FOSS” label on something the way they enjoy a “Vegan” or “Organic” label in their food. It’s nice if it’s there, but it won’t trump any other considerations for convenience or taste.
So in that sense, people will try a phone if it costs the same, looks the same and has all the same features, but won’t take any inconvenience for the sake of privacy or control. So what you end up with is stuff like Nothing phones, Fairphones or Framework laptops that are still fundamentally Android or Windows commercial devices with some concessions to leftie techhead posturing. And even then those are niche options.
No, I don’t mean anything like “climate change”, I mean the looming promise of full-blown Orwellian world, that is most beneficial for people in power when it’s not visible or felt, but they can’t prevent it. So over time more and more people will realize that we are already there.
It’s not about less expensive, it’s about not too expensive to try. Say, most Linux phones I can think of start a bit higher than I’d wish.
I think we’ll see a time the general public becomes more conscious of the risks. The world is changing, and has already changed enough.
I don’t see an indication of that anywhere.
I think there’s an awareness of being screwed over on a societal level, but it’s on a climate change-like “I know it’d bad but don’t see intuitive links to my actions” way.
People will enjoy the “FOSS” label on something the way they enjoy a “Vegan” or “Organic” label in their food. It’s nice if it’s there, but it won’t trump any other considerations for convenience or taste.
So in that sense, people will try a phone if it costs the same, looks the same and has all the same features, but won’t take any inconvenience for the sake of privacy or control. So what you end up with is stuff like Nothing phones, Fairphones or Framework laptops that are still fundamentally Android or Windows commercial devices with some concessions to leftie techhead posturing. And even then those are niche options.
No, I don’t mean anything like “climate change”, I mean the looming promise of full-blown Orwellian world, that is most beneficial for people in power when it’s not visible or felt, but they can’t prevent it. So over time more and more people will realize that we are already there.