I think it depends on what you mean by “community” and “progress.” When I think of any given software community, I imagine people who are adept with the inner workings and can actually adapt, maintain, modify, and repair an install of that software. That community will always remain small relative to the deployed base.

I’d like the community to grow for Linux so that there is broader support for everything. And to me, that is what I regard as progress.

Don’t bother addressing anything else I said. And I don’t need to pretend. When everyone you meet seems to be an asshole, the problem isn’t other people; it’s you. Your whole profile is vitriol, bitterness, logical fallacies, and bad faith argumentation. Secret life pro-tip: examine that in yourself and remedy the underlying issues. I’m speaking here with the experience of my own journey through embittered anger.

Address the core reasons for all your anger and everything will go a lot better for you. You might even be able to effect more of the changes you would like to see in the world.

I get it. It’s easy to be angry; it takes real effort to remain positive and maintain forward progress.

I don’t believe you.

That’s fair. In contrast, I completely believe that you have managed to surround yourself with misery and rage. Gee, I wonder why nobody will adopt the values you’re espousing.

You do know that all the things I discussed exist, right? A simple search will show you that these community initiatives are real and happen all over the place. Yes, I’m very lucky to live among people who are receptive to these efforts. When they don’t exist in your community, make them yourself.

You sound like you live in a utopia

That’s the goal. It takes constant work rather than spewing dogma of “just do things my way.”

where everyone is right and no one supports evil billionares or politicians

Now you’re just being a dick. You know (or should know) it’s not that simple. It’s impossible to have 100% moral consumption under capitalism. But don’t let perfect be the enemy of progress and Good Enough.

You have your experience, and I have mine. I’ve seen noticeable progress within my communities. Freecycle, Buy Nothing, repair parties, food banks, timebanks, work parties, upcycling, bicycle commuting/micro-mobility, small-scale hydroponics and gardening, local cleanups… All of these move the needle and show people a better way of doing things, ways to improve their own communities.

Clearly your way isn’t working, but you seem unwilling to hear anything that doesn’t align perfectly with your perspective.

Lead by example. Stop preaching, start showing a better way to be. Don’t talk about it; just live by your ethics and be contented. If your way is truly better, people will start to adopt how you are doing things.