Just as FOSS should produce high quality, usable, popular, free software.
But it doesn't.
Your shoulds look an awful lot like a tribal affectation which the FOSS community uses to exclude non-technical users.
It doesn't matter if the exclusion is conscious (I suspect it isn't) or deliberate (likewise.)
The point is the exclusion happens. Self-evidently and empirically. Outside of the technical community FOSS might as well not exist.
If you actually want people to use FOSS you need to stop shoulding potential users and start making software that satisfies their needs in obvious and delightful ways.
Security and privacy are important but secondary features.
And access to source code trails at the end of the list. It's of zero interest - and even less use - to non-technical users.
> which the FOSS community uses to exclude non-technical users.
Sorry, that is bullshit. Any FOSS enthusiast will gladly help other people, when there is a clear path to make the change. When I told my friends and family "I am not going to use WhatsApp anymore, but there is this program that we use instead", I went to help all of them that were interested. I didn't force them to choose between Element or WhatsApp, I just said "here is one alternative."
> Just as FOSS should produce high quality, usable, popular, free software.
I can bet FOSS beats proprietary solutions on any class on a dollar-per-unit-of-quality and even dollar-per-user-acquired metric.
> If you actually want people to use FOSS you need to stop shoulding potential users and start making software that satisfies their needs in obvious and delightful ways.
Everyone wants an unicorn. No one wants to pay for it. If we want developers to work on FOSS projects, we need to foment a marketplace that rewards FOSS developers.
"Oh, but I don't care about FOSS. I care about getting things done, or less inconveniences, etc"
Fine, then enjoy your shit sandwich that is called "Big Tech".
But it doesn't.
Your shoulds look an awful lot like a tribal affectation which the FOSS community uses to exclude non-technical users.
It doesn't matter if the exclusion is conscious (I suspect it isn't) or deliberate (likewise.)
The point is the exclusion happens. Self-evidently and empirically. Outside of the technical community FOSS might as well not exist.
If you actually want people to use FOSS you need to stop shoulding potential users and start making software that satisfies their needs in obvious and delightful ways.
Security and privacy are important but secondary features.
And access to source code trails at the end of the list. It's of zero interest - and even less use - to non-technical users.