Discussion no.11, Unix + Canv-inity

Link to the Readings

Introduction

I want to talk about the following two things, for which there is no direct article, essay or video about, so I need to kind of merge them together with multiple short readings. Those two things are the Unix philosophy, and Canva acquiring Affinity.

I want to talk about the implications for creatives, and the context around which each of them happened.

Without getting overly technical, UNIX was developed at Bell labs before even something like a GUI was technically feasible, at least on affordable computers with limited capabilities. It developed many small text-based programs (which you might encounter if you do web development, or use the terminal on a Mac or Linux). It was developed at Bell labs in response to the perceived bloat of Multics, a then-concurrent project.

Canva recently acquired the Affinity suite of programs, an affordable alternative Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. These programs are free but Canva's AI tools are the upsell.

Things to Think About

What, in general do you think of the Affinity acquisition?
Have you been trying to get off of certain Adobe products or been trying to find free or affordable alternatives?
What is your general opinion of Adobe as a company and their investment into AI?
Would you switch to Canva/Affinity?
What might a "do one thing well" or Unix-like model of creative programs look like?

What to submit

Please provide a .PDF, .TXT, .MD, or .RTF file that evidences your reading and comprehension of the material