These days, a lot of people who a decade ago would participate in developing GNU/Linux based software, are instead writing proprietary Mac shareware or proprietary Rails webapps.
OS X is seen as the »cool« thing and, within this community, GNU/hippies are mocked.
Apple has strict control over the iPhone application channel — even more so than their fellow proprietary competitors Symbian or Windows Mobile — yet they're seen as a lovable entity that can do no wrong.
I just spoke to a friend, supposedly »anarchist«, who just switched to OS X on the Air.
Even the supposedly avant-garde are falling prey to the lure of the coffeehouse chic. We see our heroes like Merlin Mann, John Gruber and Dan Benjamin, John Siracusa, Dr Andie and the rest of the Interacting Arts crew, even »Lifehacker« Gina Trapani, and think »If they don't see any showstoppers with using Apple software, maybe it's all right for me too? Maybe that would make me look cool?«
I know more people using OS X than any other OS. It doesn't really matter that much if consumers use it, but when developers enter the Apple culture I get concerned. When proprietary becomes synonymous with cool and liberty becomes »unwashed, unpolished«, it really alters the way we think about our work and what it's for.
My friend Beatrice (ahilh) switched to a Macintosh supposedly so she could more easily connect to the printer at her workplace — fine, but a couple of days later, what did I see in her kitchen? Objective-C Pocket Reference! »Err... it's for Gnustep development...« Yeah, right!
Ladies and gentlemen of the self-proclaimed jury of cool; it's time to put your foot down and make free software cool again. Don't disparage your freedom-loving friends for choosing the GNU path. Instead, help us! Install a free operating system today! It may »suck« (by that I mean it may have some differences and some similarities compared to OS X) but together we'll get going and make it something good, something independent! Personally, I like systems based around Linux, the kernel, since I like its sound system, ALSA, so much, but there are others available.