Really tired of “Linux user sucks” joke. We all know some obnoxious people exist and are annoying but they are small minority confined to their own space.
On the other side, everyday I see Linux people working on their free time or for little to no pay on accessibility issues, bettering software for everyone (including windows users). I also see community members doing their best to answer, document and work with newcomer to fix their issues. I see developers burning out because they received another report insulting their work because a feature doesn’t work exactly like windows, etc…
Maybe I’m reading too much into this, sorry if that’s the case.
Yeah I was going to say something similar… I’ve only been in Linux for maybe 2 years or so, but my experience interacting with people has been nothing but positive. Everyone is very helpful.
Can’t we agree on both? I don’t want microsoft to spy on me and I would like people to switch to linux.
The problem is no matter how badly we want that to be true, Linux just still is not stable enough or user friendly enough for the average user. Unless you’re ready to be a system admin full-time for someone you’re giving a Linux device to, it’s pointless. Even the simple ones like Mint? It’s too much for my elderly mom, she gets lost too easily. It’s just too demanding of average users, simple as that.
I want people to switch to Linux too, but this is exactly why this comic is dead-accurate, because it’s just not ready for average users and likely won’t be anytime soon. Why? Because Linux gives you control, and giving you control is actually demanding of your time and energy and effort. People like Windows or macOS because they don’t have to expend time, energy, and effort, it just “works” well enough for them to use it passively.
There are worse things in the world than regular people not being able to handle Linux.
I switched my grandma to Fedora and she’s been able to use it without issue once I got it set up for her. She only really needs a browser and word processor anyway.
YSK that like all demographics, grandmas occupy a range of intelligence options.
I think windows also kinda sucks for older people and less technologically inclined people.
Windows is what people are used to, doesn’t mean it is better. I think there are a bunch of linux distros that would work just as well for older people.
This is false information
average user
So, while i first encountered this in software, because i was a nerdy little shit, I’ve found it in a lot of other things since gstting into otg activism:
We infantilize the shit out of people, and as long as they’re kept in a cradle, they will not outgrow it, only wither and die when their tike comes.
Claiming agency for ones self is necessarily challenging. You will fuck up, casting off your chains and taking your first steps towards becoming an autonomous individual. It’s just a thing. In politics/conscience, in software, in sexuality, in riding a bike; whatever. It’s unavoidable, and, imo; usually fine. What i can do is help troubleshoot and make your ass keep backups.
You’ll be better and more capable for having surpassed the challenge.
There was actually a major bifurcation in ux design around precisely this issue. Doug englebart on the not-evil side, steve ‘toilet feet nevershower’ jobs on the other.
Also, i can’t do shit about microsoft. It’s only gonna keep getting worse.
I cannot make them not suck. An update will undo anything i do to liberate your machine.
Literally the only solutions i have for ‘ms please don’t spy’ are ‘air gap’ and ‘linux’.
Now we know why they got tariff’d
“Complaint”
“Solution”
“No, only complaint 😡”
“I want my partner to stop beating me daily, but I don’t want to leave them”
They keep beating you as long as it’s profitable for them - and you keep it profitable
First of all, has your own experience with Windows been so traumatic that you actually feel it’s proper to compare it to spousal abuse of all goddamn things?
Secondly, using emotionally manipulative false equivalences like that do nothing to further the argument, it just shuts it down by spreading feelings of guilt in the other partly.
Thirdly, people are allowed to ask for more privacy without evangelists like you crawling out of the woodwork to guilt-trip them into making a change they may not be ready for.
First of all, has your own experience with Windows been so traumatic that you actually feel it’s proper to compare it to spousal abuse of all goddamn things?
Secondly, using emotionally manipulative false equivalences like that do nothing to further the argument, it just shuts it down by spreading feelings of guilt in the other partly.
Might not have been the best comparison as another commenter mentioned
Thirdly, people are allowed to ask for more privacy without evangelists like you crawling out of the woodwork to guilt-trip them into making a change they may not be ready for.
Sure, you can ask but you’re asking hammer to stop being a hammer. Modern Windows is not built to be private, but the opposite of it, it’s a marketing platform.
It’s a little much to compare it to spousal abuse, but it’s honestly not far from the truth. As for asking for more privacy, you’re absolutely well within your right to ask for it, but it’s well within Microsoft’s right to say “fuck you I’ll spy as much as I want because you agreed to be spied upon when you agreed to our EULA that you probably didn’t actually read”.
Microsoft windows is an advertising platform now and nothing more. Windows as a home operating system is a drop in the bucket for Microsoft, they want you spending money on subscriptions for O365, Xbox gamepass, and Azure Cloud. They want enterprise SQL licensing and azure cloud licensing, they couldn’t give fuck all about some butthurt dudebro who plays call of duty, they want copilot subscribers and to be the driving force behind LLMs and AI not Meta or OpenAI. Your privacy is the last thing Microsoft will ever care about, and if you don’t take the initiative and stop using that piece of shit intrusive OS, then idk what to tell you.
The well-dweller makes a valid point. I use linux mint btw
The thing is this: The safer Microsoft can be that Windows is the only thinkable OS for their users, the less risk there is when integrating Anti-User features.
To its users it is therefore important to know about alternatives. If you make Microsoft scared that users change OS, the product Windows will become better.
This is true even if you don’t change your OS.
