I'm not sure I agree that there has been no "feedback loop" for OSS development. I think there has always been some kind of feedback from users to programmers. Unfortunately that feedback has been from other coders and not from "average" users.
How many Linux users could even be classified as "average" computer users? That is and will continue to change. Now that OSS software has started to become a bit more popular it will begin to broaden it's user base.
As long as the community welcomes the new users instead of telling them how stupid they are for not being able to use a CLI. etc...that feedback loop will grow also.
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I'm not sure I agree that there has been no "feedback loop" for OSS development. I think there has always been some kind of feedback from users to programmers. Unfortunately that feedback has been from other coders and not from "average" users.
How many Linux users could even be classified as "average" computer users? That is and will continue to change. Now that OSS software has started to become a bit more popular it will begin to broaden it's user base.
As long as the community welcomes the new users instead of telling them how stupid they are for not being able to use a CLI. etc...that feedback loop will grow also.
>Reality, what a concept" - Geo. Carlin.
ummmm...isn't that a Robin Williams quote?