Agreed. I’d also argue that it would have been better if pirates managed to do the job before that.

Well, why should the average end-user use Linux, actually? If your answer is privacy, taking control back or something in that general line, you’re essentially advocating for a technological solution on the individual level as a solution to what essentially are and always have been political and ideological problems. Expecting that to work out is wishful thinking at best. I have growing suspicions, though, that it’s more like a different ideological layer, and in that regard quite akin to making the climate catastrophe about choices of individual consumers (of which they often have very few, actually).

Dumbed down Linux exists. It’s called Android.

Organic growth is good. Growth for the sake of growth makes no sense outside an environment where you need those metrics to convince investors.

Nah, you’re spot on. Let’s keep this simple and not muddy the waters. If it’s corporate, it’s evil. All you need for a rule of thumb. There may be rare instances when this isn’t the case, but I’ve yet to see one that lasted for long. Let’s be real here, corporation’s raison d’être is increasing shareholder value and dividends - inherently and inevitably incompatible with the common good.