Just giggled as my last meme mentioned trouble with displays and appropriately, a large chunk of the replies were “well MY displays work just fine!” (And charmingly, many were thoughts of things to check, other distros etc. It’s a very kind community, though that may also be the fediverse.)
It’s not TOO bad around here, but when I was on a Linux binge on Youtube, some people in the comments there genuinely just don’t want other people to move to Linux. That’s not my words, it’s theirs. They flat out don’t want new Linux users or for Linux to grow… but they use it.
If Linux becomes common, then they won’t be a ‘special haxor’ anymore. Can’t be having any of that you know.
Over the years, I have seen less and less of the ‘RTFM noob’ attitude and Linux forums becoming more welcoming and accepting of new users. But assholes still exist and won’t ever go away. But they do make a good match with the newcomers that expect to have everything work just like it did in Windows or even Mac because they’ll be damned if they are going to learn something new and different. And yes, they exist. Why those people even try Linux is beyond me, but you do run into them if you spend time hanging out in forums.
I can sort of understand this instinct. I am not opposed to new people using linux but I think the obsession with “growth” is the wrong way to think about software tools.
The way most companies make adoption of their software system grow is by making it more convenient to use, then exploiting network effects to force more users on to their platform. For the vast majority of people “convenient to use” means a locked down environment where they have little or no control and don’t have to make technical decisions.
Right now to use a Linux OS you are going to have to do a little bit of learning and make some decisions. The requirement that you actually think about an OS for a few minutes acts as a significant barrier for a lot of people, but removing that barrier results in a product that does not allow the user to control their software. Which I think would be bad.
For me, “growth” is a means to an end, not the end itself. I want Linux saturation. Largely, I view Linux more as a project to empower good and smart people against stagnant stupidity and reactionary evil of (most of) the super wealthy. Unfortunately, this means taking on masses of fucking morons on board the linux train. If you don’t have that network effect, you are throwing away power, and our enemies will never do that.
So smart and good people (linux experts/devs) need to understand that if they want good things, they need to be willing to fight ruthless (but stupid) monsters, and that also requires ruthlessness and morally grey thinking. And it means accepting the dirty masses into their smart people club, in fact encouraging them in (maybe some of those dumb fucks will stop being dumb by way of being pulled in).
Sorry, linux is full, go away.
Probably Microsoft bots attempt at keeping Windows alive.
Yes. I think no one really knows how much this happens, but I keep seeing evidence that it is happening much more than that average person suspects.