BSD is dying

[Frank Shute]

On Thu, Jul 28, 2005 at 10:50:14AM +0100, Paul Richards wrote:
>
> and seems pretty  much dead in the UK based on this list.

I don't have any problems with it, which is why I tend not to post and
I'm guessing most people are probably in a similar boat. I think a
goodly proportion of posters on this list have used FreeBSD for a good
few years and know how to sort out problems/use Google groups.

> 
> Although I'm being a bit flippant, since this list has become totally
> inactive recently I've also been trawling job lists a lot in the last
> few months and BSD has vanished from the UK job market too.

I've sort of been following the jobs market (mainly in Universities)
for a few years and I've never known BSD to appear in any adverts at
all! I tend to point out my Linux skills on my CV (even though they
are woefully out of date) and I make sure to mention that FreeBSD is
the reference implementation of Unix for OSX (ie. I've got OSX skills
even though I've never used it :) 

> 
> Anyone got any comments on how they see the state of BSD in general
> and FreeBSD in particular in the UK at the moment?

I feel fairly confident about BSD in general, by all accounts 6.x is
shaping up to be a good release. 

I think FreeBSD is beginning to attract mindshare. I base that opinion
on watching how Linux started really attracting mindshare about 6-7
yrs ago and a close examination of postings on Slashdot over the past
year or two. ie. a strictly scientific study ;) 

I think FreeBSD a few years ago was restricted to grey hairs like me
but now I see youngsters picking it up in preference to Linux ("ports
rocks!!!") on Slashdot.

These youngsters will eventually grow up, get jobs and then carry the
word about FreeBSD into their work environments just like others did
about Linux 6-7 yrs ago.

Linux had a head start because of the legal problems and the press
picking up on "Finnish student threatens to depose Bill Gates" story.

What's more important IMO is how BSD is doing in the States; where they
lead we seem to follow.

If my reading of the tea-leaves is correct, I think BSD is doing
fairly well in the States with a lot of hosting companies beginning to
use it and projects like pcbsd which seems to be fairly popular.

-- 

 Frank 


echo "f r a n k @ e s p e r a n c e - l i n u x . c o . u k" | sed 's/ //g'

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