[adorno]

Imagine the same kind of fragmentation occurring in a government system, where everybody does their own thing, and no one knows what the next person is up to. A city or state or national government, would end in chaos.

Chaos is a better word for what's happening with the Linux community, and fragmentation is just a nicer way of putting it.

"The end result is a perceived chaos of applications, operating systems, desktop environments, you name it. Developers are pulling in every direction and the lack of a concentrated effort is damaging the platform in its entirety."

As long as every Jane, Dick and Harry believes that they know better, then, there will be no centralized control and no real good direction for Linux.

So, who in their right minds are going to dive into a pool of so many uncertainties, other than the tech geeks who think they know better?

[GeronL]

I went to a snocone stand and they had so many flavors I could not believe it, I told them that this was a horrible idea and that one flavor for all should be the rule. nay, the law.

//kidding

[publius911]

Imagine the same kind of fragmentation occurring in a government system, where everybody does their own thing, and no one knows what the next person is up to. A city or state or national government, would end in chaos.

You picked the absolutely worst example to make a point, so I had to skip the rest of your post.
That description fits perfectly the state of political governance in the U.S., from top to bottom, and yet half the voting population (and presumably Windows owners) thinks it is a good thing.

[familyop]

"Imagine the same kind of fragmentation occurring in a government system, where everybody does their own thing, and no one knows what the next person is up to. A city or state or national government, would end in chaos."

Imagine that being too much of a restricted portrait of the near future. Imagine such decentralization of all markets down to community and individual levels with all useful products being made by anyone and everyone willing to make them in micro-operations with no way to control them at all. That's on the way everywhere, and it won't be stopped.