[9fans] freedom (was Re: Compiling 9atom kernel)

[errno <errno@cox.net>]

I'm aware that 9fans doesn't usually take kindly to speculative fiction,
conjecture, or speculation.  Please forgive me, I'm writing with honest
intentions.

On Friday, May 06, 2011 05:07:21 AM Lucio De Re wrote:
> On Thu, May 05, 2011 at 11:45:27PM -0700, errno wrote:
> > I'm tired of maintaining everyone's computers in my house on an ad-hoc
> > basis; and I think I could deploy a higher performing, more maintainable,
> > but overall cheaper network with Plan 9. But I can hardly expect visitors
> > and family to run acme and abaco.
> 
> To cut a long story short, you want your cake and eat it.  Unfortunately,
> 99% of the population prefer to eat a pre-made cake and give up the
> ownership part.  It is hardly Plan 9's fault that those who write poor
> software for the wrong environment can't be evangelised; as you point out,
> it doesn't even make sense.
> 
> But you're stuck, aren't you?  As soon as, say, a browser is developed for
> Plan 9 (assuming that someone could afford the resources), the standards
> will change and the browser will need major surgery.  Who's going to
> invest in that?  Basically, the mover and shakers are precisely the
> people who don't want Plan 9 (or anything like it) to be a success story.
> They are winning.

I concur, and I think this is a generally sound summary of the situation. And
highly astute, with regards to your comment concerning certain movers and
shakers.  Plan 9 has mind-numbing potential of being a bonafide "disruptive
technology", if the cat ever got outta the bag. I'm convinced that the web is
the key. 

html + css + javascript over http through ssl is able to adequately satisfy
~80% of the general public's computing needs and wants. (I pulled that 
"80%" figure out of my ass, but I doubt I'm all too far from the mark)

So, what to do?

The Web:

Reject it? (aka "go buy a tablet" )

Reproduce it? (aka "have you looked at webfs?" )

Reuse it? (aka "port webkit")


There's no possible way that I'm the only one who has envisioned 
some rendition of the following science-fiction:

* a Plan 9-based platform targeted at the general consumer market

* this platform offers html + css + javascript (aka "the web") as the
primary front-end ui

* said platform is purchased via a "turnkey" hardware package:  a single
preconfigured plan 9 cpu/auth/file server using commodity hardware, in
the $2000-$4000 price range

* said unit can comfortably support ~10 simultaneous users, each using
super-cheap thin-clients at ~$200 dollars per unit

* the idea is the consumer purchases the cpu/auth/file server unit and
one or more thin client units; this is all any typical household needs

* with purchase of said unit, customer receives option to pay $19.99
a month for a hosted Plan 9 VPS - customer's household cpu/auth/file
server stays synchronized with this VPS, thereby facilitating ever-present
remote access to personal computing environment

* said platform is easily scaleable (obviously - it's plan 9) to support
larger more demanding environments - such as businesses and 
organizations - decouple the auth/cpu/file server and/or purchase
higher-end servers 

(monetary values pulled out of my ass - just throwing ballpark 
guestimates to get the point across)

I don't want google and facebook and flicker et. al. owning my data; I
don't want to make intel and dell rich with their overpowered machines
and processors so I can run ever-bloating os and software; I don't want to
maintain a collection of various ad-hoc essentially autistic (please excuse
the term) computers in my household. I want to be able to access my
private, personal computing environment from anywhere with an internet
connection via my portable thin client. I want to be able to easily share
my data and resources within a trusted circle. I want all communications
to innately and transparently run over an ssl encrypted channel at all
times.

A radically distributed internet where power and control is put back into 
the hands of individuals. I'm tired of centralized gilded cages and
hierarchical client server models formed and shaped mostly for the benefit 
of a few monolithic companies and an ever-encroaching federal government,
and the ever-insidious "Intellectual Property" gestapo.

From where I stand, this is where Plan 9 belongs. This is what it ought to be
doing, and where it ought to be going.

I hope I have not offended anyone, please do not be too harsh on me if
you disagree.