Not communicating that there are alternatives to their services?
I don’t really think it’s their responsibility to spoon feed alternatives to their customers; they’re not being anticompetitive, they’re not being deceptive, they’re not blocking alternatives.
I think your requirements here are unfair and kind of irrational
The value proposition is ease of use and integration of these theming utilities.
I honestly think this monetisation strategy of theirs is a non-issue.
People who want a streamlined experience have the option of paying for that, people who want the option of doing it all themselves have that opportunity too.
I don’t think that’s “taking advantage of vulnerable people”
The options still exist for people to learn and theming is incredibly inconsequential.
They’re monetising to support development in a minimally impactful way, that is completely optional, and I think that’s a good thing.
I’m trying to quit, again
I think Zorin is a pretty solid choice for people with no Linux experience tbh.
It’s at least going to feel familiar
I think it’s pretty arguable that it does.
Not being algorithmically driven, the absence of an incentive for incendiary content goes a lot way to change the tone of the spaces.
Not to mention all the other ways the platform is operationally different from these other for profit platforms.
I’m on tech.lgbt; no one I trust with my data more than queer nerds
Why you lumping Mastodon in with that lot? 🥺
So what’s your issue then? Zorin has a free version that people can opt for if they want