I was thinking that the world of conlangs is starting to resemble the world of computer software (or at least an earlier version, before apple was overtaken by microsoft). For example:

We Mac and PC leading the market with Mac OSX and Windows XP, just like Esperanto and Interlingua are leading in the conlang world.

Then we have languages like Ido etc which are like the various Linux distributions (developed and maintained by a smaller yet still passionate community). We then also have older software like MS-DOS, which parallels to Volapük - awesome and fun, just not really useful nuntempe.

Then, there are small, simple applications that run in conjunction with the OS, a bit like Toki Pona's role in simple communication.

However, there are obvious problems:
Esperanto, Interlingua and Ido are in conflict with each other - One already being well established, one being seen as the hip new thing, and then the other being seen as a little-side project full of opportunities. Just like with the OS's, this doesn't really get anywhere. Of course, people could continue learning all three and then a smaller and simpler language like Toki Pona (or newspeak ) could be used as a go-between, but even then for a language like Toki Pona, it would be slightly exceeding the expectations of the language (which are meant to be about simplicity, or in newspeak's case, controlling the masses).

So, what do you guys think about this? Is there almost a market like situation growing here, waiting for public interest to grow? Or do you think things will remain as they are with the main focus going to natural languages such as English, Spanish and Chinese? Do you think conlangs will grow and open-source movement ?

I'd rather compare Windows to English, Mac stuff probably to French and all conlangs to various Linux distributions

MarkIB:I'd rather compare Windows to English, Mac stuff probably to French and all conlangs to various Linux distributions

Or would that make Esperanto ReactOS?

That makes sense.

I think Esperanto is Linux and English is Microsoft.

But which distribution of Linux does laŭfundamenta Esperanto represent? Because I don't think there is really one type of Linux dominant over the others.

(Not to get too caught up in numbers, but Windows represents about 95% of the market, whereas Mac is about 5%; however, far less than 95% of the world speaks English.)

But I agree with MarkIB's comparison of Windows to English; people who prefer to use Mac often have to learn to use Windows anyway because Windows is so widespread. Mac can be compared to all the other major world languages, such as French, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Hindi, etc, the speakers of whom typically learn English anyway.

I was planning on leaving natural languages out because it's too hard to compare English, Chinese, Spanish and Arabic together (and also computers, like conlangs, are artificial), but nonetheless, if we were to compare Esperanto to them I'd put it more in the 'Puppy Linux' category.

So what's Finnish? The Nokia firmware?

eikored85: however, far less than 95% of the world speaks English.

OK, but if we consider the use of language in international communication, esperanto is far behind.