this post was submitted on 10 Jun 2023
162 points (98.2% liked)
Linux
48323 readers
785 users here now
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
Rules
- Posts must be relevant to operating systems running the Linux kernel. GNU/Linux or otherwise.
- No misinformation
- No NSFW content
- No hate speech, bigotry, etc
Related Communities
Community icon by Alpár-Etele Méder, licensed under CC BY 3.0
founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
What would you call gmail vs hotmail?
Providers.
But that's a provider/customer relationship, on the fediverse it isn't.
Agree on a technical level, but in terms of the average netizen being able to visualize the relationship, "providers" makes it much easier
I don't think we should try to visualize something that's not there just because it's (supposedly) easier for the average netizen.
For now. Commercial servers are possible, especially if communities become multi-instance in the future.
Every mature decentralized service calls them providers. Phone providers, ISPs, email providers, etc. I guess usenet just calls them "news servers", though.
It's provider/consumer (not customer, something being a "provider" doesn't necessarily mean they are selling stuff).
We are consumers, we consume the content that the instances provide, as content providers.