Your point about folks perhaps framing it as generational as opposed to class is quite interesting. I wonder if maybe in the past both of these dimensions (generation and class) overlapped alot more...and now, maybe things skew more towards one generation being more of one class, and so maybe data either getsd hidden, or in many cases the folks in one generation happen to be members of a specific class level? I ask this as a rhetorical question, and not a statement, because i have no idea on a wide scale. For example, if maybe a few generations ago, there were class conflicts across the different generational categories...but nowadays, most (but not all) older folks might identify more with only one side of the class aspect? Anyway, all questions that can't be answered without tons of data and evidence gathering! Good discussion!!!

As to your point about likely being more due to material conditions rather than age, perhaps you're right....but, then again, on average I'd say the older generation tends to have better material conditions/positions, tends to have at least some savings (maybe retirement, or at least will have more solvent social security, etc.?)...than say young folks who started graduating college from around the great recession to about now? So, maybe we're both right???

Another part of my nostalgia with those old workstations (besides the core OS) was the desktop environment, i think CDE or motif or something like that. Something about the look and feel of that DE i always thought was cool!

I doubt that will happen because none of them want to stop the money-making machine they have! And, if your thought after my comment is that all us techies are making a fuss, so the cloud providers and businesses using them will hear our cries and trigger a backlash...? I doubt that to...because some senior business leaders that i see are bent on listening more to management consultants as opposed to abalance of folks including their own internal experts...but, alas, maybe i'm just having too cynical a day today. :-)

And you might think it is a conspiracy theory...but the sentiment i'm seeing (obviously a limited data set to only folks i engage with) seems to align so much to it...that if not fully true, *feels* quite close to it - even if not an intentional thing.

My sincere apologies if my comments are offensive to anyone (of any age group)...but i do agree that I'm seeing way more older people in support of the AI evolution, and many many more younger people fearing it. My age is far closer to the older generation, but lots of times, i'm feeling what i see lots of younger folks feeling: fear.

The conspiracy theorist in me from years ago would have stated that maybe this action from DOGE was purposeful...but, nowadays, i see lots more incompetence that merely might present/display as conspiracy! lol :-D

Very salient comment there! And, while not the only reason for me, but what you noted is sort of one reason that's triggering the itch in me to go back to playing with the BSDs. Don't get me wrong, I still do love fiddling around with some areas of linux once in a while....but then, there are other uses/areas where i just want a server to do its thing, and for my maintenance to be a little less (at least less than some linux distros require). So maybe i'm not the only one? :-)

And, wow, do i miss the old X-window workstations...well, i should clarify that i LOVED those (I think they were Sparc?) workstations that ran Solaris or SunOS back in the day! Man, that takes me back some years...but i really loved those machines! :-)

And, I mentioned NetBSD for embedded stuff...but really, i *think* its that NetBsd is simply installed on tons of different hardware....so not only embedded....i kinda remembered that about NetBSD.

But, its the other BSDs - in particular FreeBSD vs OpenBSD - that i always forget the differences...but got it now. Thanks!

I'm asking because i have not touched any BSD for over 2 decades...and I'm getting the itch to try some out...and was wondering if for server-type use cases (like you noted) whether OpenBSD is preferred over FreeBSD or the reverse, and why? Thanks in advance for any feedback you might provide!

Some areas are even worse, because they'll use the event (e.g. "we have rampant crime now that criminals are spray-painting and ruining our potholes!")...as an excuse to then drastically increase funding for law enforcement agencies! Its bonkers and sad all around!