If you recognized yourself in a few of these points, that doesn’t mean Linux isn’t for you. In fact, you can count it as an invitation. It just means you’ve spent a long time in an ecosystem that treats you more like a product than a participant.
  1. You love giving your data away
  2. You enjoy being tracked by your operating system
  3. You’re happy when your computer tells you “no”
  4. You prefer someone else deciding what you can run
  5. You feel uncomfortable if you get to have options
  6. You’d rather battle corporate tech support
  7. You’d rather rent your software than own it
  8. You think ads belong on your desktop
  9. You love being lied to about what’s “industry standard”
  10. You like rebooting for every little update
  • Daniel Quinn@lemmy.caEnglish
    0·
    9 hours ago

    #3 is what does it for me. There are few things more enraging than something I own refusing to do what I’m instructing it to do.

  • MasterBlaster@lemmy.world
    0·
    12 hours ago

    I enjoy the snark, but also agree it’s condescending. Folks, take it as cynical humor, and don’t be so harsh.

    Anyway I commented to say that #10 is creeping into at least some distributions.

    My Ubuntu sends security updates that frequently impact system libraries and thus demands (politely) a reboot.

    Gnome software does it all the time, but a regular “check for updates” will often install without demanding reboot. I suspect the update won’t be in effect until reboot, though.

  • njm1314@lemmy.world
    0·
    18 hours ago

    This is exactly the kind of shit that keeps people from switching the Linux y’all know that right?

    • Helix 🧬@feddit.orgEnglish
      0·
      17 hours ago

      Why should I care? Linux has enough users as it is, development is sustainable. I don’t want all users to switch at once because that would flood forums with noobs asking silly questions.

      It’s their loss if they don’t use Linux. Why should I encourage them to do so? Just to have some shitty Electron apps more which I don’t use?

      It’s much more painful for me that the places I work at don’t use Linux. They won’t be swayed by such an article anyway.

      • MasterBlaster@lemmy.world
        0·
        12 hours ago

        I’m a bit less nihilistic about it, though. I acknowledge the benefit if being a small enough “market” that the enshittification doesn’t hit Linux like a tsunami as you alluded.

        More users means more bullshit money grubbers, more dishonesty, more incentive for greedy hackers to attack.

      • pineapple@lemmy.mlEnglish
        0·
        17 hours ago

        Are you serious? Do you really believe linux can’t get any better or that linux is perfect for you?

        The more people that use linux the more donations it gets from people and the more people use it.

        Also if you think linux is so awesome isn’t it nice to other people to share that awesomeness with them?

        As well the more people that use linux the more apps will be supported on it. Can you say with full confidence that there isn’t a single windows or macos app that doesn’t work perfectly on linux that you don’t want? Even if linux is perfect for you, you rely on the kindness of open source maintainers to maintain linux, can you really not reserve any kindness for other people?

        • MasterBlaster@lemmy.world
          0·
          12 hours ago

          That is the real altruistic, hopeful view, but there are downsides that I enumerated in my other comment. Here’s another, though - With large scale acceptance comes a flood of people who just want a tool that works, not something they can build on or improve.

          The greatest strength of this community is the love of the platform and the joy of exploration. Most are in it for altruistic or at least self enrichment reasons. Many are able to contribute when they see a gap. That can be diluted quickly.

          Then the entrepreneurs see opportunities to make money from those people, and the enshitification begins.

    • vandsjov@feddit.dk
      0·
      17 hours ago

      Yeah, I read this as: YOU ARE FUCKING STUPID, I AM MUCH BETTER THAN YOU

      That is really a good way to communicate.

  • tuff_wizard@aussie.zone
    0·
    19 hours ago

    If you have a job or are student you’ll know that using Linux usually results in a direct increase in corporate tech support battles.

  • onlooker@lemmy.ml
    0·
    20 hours ago

    And here I was, thinking this was a well thought out article with actual, legitimate reasons why someone wouldn’t want to use Linux. Instead, it’s this smug, autofellating, condescending bullshit. Roland Taylor has some issues.

  • muzzle@lemmy.zip
    0·
    21 hours ago

    Back on the 90s (I know, I know) the joke was that of your VCR was still blinking 12:00 Linux was probably not for you.

  • SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.ml
    0·
    22 hours ago

    “Well if you don’t buy this car you are a moron who can’t see how much better this car is. So keep driving that piece of shit car you dumbass. So, have I sold you on this car?”

  • Cris@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    24 hours ago

    As a long time linux user, antagonizing people who are unsure if the switch is right for them is very clearly a poor interpersonal choice that will not result in the change we wanna see in the world, or more people adopting linux

    Fuckin seriously, we can do better than this circle jerk. As someone who cares deeply about software being kinder to people it pains me enormously how much of a dump stat interpersonal skills are for so much of the Foss community

    If the authors wanna pat themselves for linux they can do it without creating a unempathetic, condescending, preachy culture that alienates people.

    Just call the article “things we love about having switched to linux” so it finds the right audience and its fine, but this shit sucks and its exactly the kind of crap that has made so many of my friends resistant to hearing what I think is good and special about Foss software. They hear me out anyway, but I’d love for it to not be a fucking uphill battle because Foss people routinely emulate the same preachy, condescending, unempathetic interpersonal apprach that everyone bemoans about the worst vegan spaces online

    • MasterBlaster@lemmy.world
      0·
      12 hours ago

      Your points are valid, and if I saw this on a site like pcmag, medium or whatever, i would totally be on the same page. Still, how many “on the fence” people are likely to be here, on Lemmy, subscribed to a linux forum?

      I chose to take it as snarky humor for the “in crowd”. Benefit: keeps my blood pressure manageable.

      • Cris@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        19 hours ago

        I’m really glad it seems like my thoughts have been appreciated, I was kinda mentally preparing myself for people to be unhappy with me

        I find this kind of stuff frustrating enough I needed to edit my first version of the comment cause it was angrier, but I want people to actually hear me out and think about the culture we cultivate in the foss space. It really matters.

        There are so many issues people care about (eg. Software freedom) specifically because we want a world that is kinder to people, and then we act on that value or interest in a way that isn’t kind to people. A little empathy goes a looong way

        Thank you for the kind words, I hope you have a lovely day :)

  • boredsquirrel@slrpnk.net
    0·
    1 day ago

    Cool and all but stop the rebooting hate

    1. I just installed some random drivers, I guess without rebooting. Window is intransparent af, but I think so.
    2. Reboots are very important and should be done with updates. Atomic systems make sense!
  • FoundFootFootage78@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    1 day ago
    1. You can’t be trusted with keeping your desktop secure (because Linux sure as hell won’t do that for you).
    2. You need software that can’t run on Linux even via compatibility tools (Multiplayer AAA games don’t count).
    3. You have access to extended security updates for Windows 10.