Cooption probably has some small effect, but I'd bet massively swamped by:
(1) Software is becoming harder to avoid.
(2) Proprietary vendors outcompete relatively decentralized free software efforts to put software in hands of people.
I don't know whether (2) is increasing or decreasing. But even if free software is failing to compete less miserably than before, it is being outcompeted and with (1), we have the moment observed.
Note competition includes competition to control policy, particularly public policy. Unfortunately most free software activists appear to be focused on individual (thus dwarfish) heroism and insider politics rather than collective action.
(1) Software is becoming harder to avoid.
(2) Proprietary vendors outcompete relatively decentralized free software efforts to put software in hands of people.
I don't know whether (2) is increasing or decreasing. But even if free software is failing to compete less miserably than before, it is being outcompeted and with (1), we have the moment observed.
Note competition includes competition to control policy, particularly public policy. Unfortunately most free software activists appear to be focused on individual (thus dwarfish) heroism and insider politics rather than collective action.
Sajith Sasidharan, Christopher Allan Webber, Charles Stanhope, William L. Anderson likes this.