He's probably just angry that so many people went from Ubuntu to Linux Mint and his daydreams about becoming a kind of open source Bill Gates didn't really turn out as planned, even though Ubuntu is doing fine as distro.
He needs to chill out and listen more to the people who do the real work.
Nobody is trying to tell you that you have to run an ARM fork of Arch Linux on an M1 MacBook. You're taking this weirdly personally.
How would you feel if people made disparaging comments about your hobbies being the sort of thing that "normal people" aren't "willing to do with their time"?
Your comments are insulting to people who actually do not care and just want to use the same popular platform that all their friends use. A few nerds telling them they are not enlightened won't work. It's the same bunch of nerds telling them to run Linux. Can't the masses just see how wrong they are... yeah, right.
I run Linux and use the open web BTW, I'm just old enough to know that insulting people you are trying to convince of something usually backfires. And, most importantly, you should know that they may not want or need your help. You calling them uninformed/ignorant/closed minded/etc. will just get you kicked out faster.
> Linux (and other open-source OSes, obviously) is an environment in which users are able to exercise more freedom in their usage of their computers than virtually anywhere else.
While this is true, it's simply not a feature the average user wants at all. They just want it to be simple, and work.
> To suggest that users should use a static system or merely accept their updates in 6-month-increments is like suggesting that a carpenter should never consider the manufacture of his tools.
Most users aren't carpenters, they have no interest in crafting their own tools, they just want a decent looking coffee table that doesn't require them to hand build it.
> Stop treating users like children and engage them as equals.
They aren't equals, have you met most users? You're arguing from a programmers perspective, not a typical computer users.
I'm a Windows wizard and couldn't care less about Linux neckbeards, I already tried to make Linux a part of my arsenal only to meet repeated failures. Linux isn't suited for me, and probably most users at that, and that's fine.
That doesn't mean I won't take easy potshots when the occasion arises, though. If they (Linux neckbeards) don't like it, they can work on improving their act and reputation.
You see, I think this is exactly the kind of entitled attitude that pushes away people from Linux.
People don't give a damn about the intricacies and history of their tools, they care about getting a good work done in the less stressful way.
Stop this. It's condescending and part of the reason no one like tech people. It's also one of the core reasons the Linux Desktop never took off: "you don't need that, you just need (simple usecase that I envisioned because it was easy)."
There's nothing respectful about calling people who don't want to fiddle with Linux idiots. You can't say "may I respectfully suggest" and go on to insult people. It doesn't work that way.
There is probably some truth in what you say, albeit i wouldn't go so far to say that they're just nerds. They're business nerds, or they wouldn't be where they are today.
Also, i'd really appreciate if people would stop calling it a "linux distro". It makes as much sense than to call OS X a "BSD Distro"
I'm just sick of folks repeating that same tired argument, much like most Linux / BSD people being told that neither can be used as a desktop machine. It gets old and you just know the person saying it is much smarter than that.
His profound disgust for Terminal.app to me is a case of Princess and the Pea syndrome: I remember typing into actual glass terminals, so—without trying to sound too much like grandpa here—he sounds a bit spoiled to me.
I knew a lot of people like this guy. I'd be sitting at a SPARCstation in the computer lab running twm and there'd be some dude next to me that was never content with something that just fucking worked and he was constantly trying to optimize everything. As someone else already said, whenever I see people like this, I want to ask, "Better for whom? Better for what?"
And what of this? "I don’t think I need to further argue this sub ject—we all agree open-source is good." Hello?! You're talking to Mac users here, they may not agree to some statement that you find blindingly obvious, given that they're not using a $300 netbook based on Linux.
Yeah, all things considered, maybe I'd prefer to program Unix on a FreeBSD box, but I do more than just program.
In response to his response as a response to my response, I'd add that if he wants to see progress on these issues, Linux isn't ever going to burst into the room, take him by the hand and whisk him away. At some point he's going to need to take the leap and start using Linux in anger in order to escape W7 or W10.
His wife running Ubuntu is encouraging though. I'm much happier if someone has at least tried Linux rather than just assuming it's terrible.
But as I say, everyone needs to take a step forward of we want to move the front line.
Just give him some seat or what he wants, stop acting like some series like Suits
reply