This year we made good progress. You know, Linux gaming becoming better, Reddit fucking up, Metaverse failing etc. But on the other hand Big Tech has or are planning to make some moves. Such as, Google's Web Enviroment Integrity API (EDIT: they backed off), UK's encryption bill, etc.
So what do you think of the future? I'm currently optimistic. I think the best recent event was Reddit fucking up. Obviously one of the biggest information sources going down that path isn't something to celebrate. But it was bound to happen. I believe decentralized social networks becoming more popular is what Aaron Swartz would have wanted if he saw how Reddit was being managed.
I've been in IT since before Linux exited, and installed my first Linux box the other day.
You're spot on. It's a frustrating nuisance to me (especially as writing tech docs has been part of my job), but for a non-technical person it's a no-go.
I don't know what the answer is. CDs like AOL used to do?
It's a better walk-thru USB-stick-creation process. See my response to sibling comment. I really think this is a solvable problem but a lot of Linux users are in denial about just how geeky and perseverant ordinary people can be expected to be.
Yes, even that USB creation walk through has been too much, for me, let alone a non-technical person (or even less motivated, which I have been for 20 years now) .