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  3. What's the most common complaint I've heard about Linux?

What's the most common complaint I've heard about Linux?

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  • emily_rugburn@lgbtqia.spaceE emily_rugburn@lgbtqia.space

    @yuki2501 @Linux_in_a_Bit @raphaelmorgan

    i attempted to use linux about 25 years ago after a bunch of people pushed me to install it. i asked for help to run it and was told if i didnt know how to use it, i shouldnt use it. that literally was the last time i tried to be interested in computers and reallllyyyy DGAF anymore.

    yuki2501@masto.hackers.townY This user is from outside of this forum
    yuki2501@masto.hackers.townY This user is from outside of this forum
    yuki2501@masto.hackers.town
    wrote last edited by
    #176

    @emily_rugburn @Linux_in_a_Bit @raphaelmorgan Wow.

    emily_rugburn@lgbtqia.spaceE 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • manuelcaeiro@mastodon.socialM manuelcaeiro@mastodon.social

      @Linux_in_a_Bit
      There are lot of help tutorials online, but some are not easy to find with google search because advertizing... and the ai sh**
      Linux is not hard, one just have to put some effort on learning. Lower the standards as if people is stupid is a bad thing in everything, not only Linux.
      And... ArchWiki has very detailed tutorials. I used it to fix things on other distros not related to Arch. Dude!

      raphaelmorgan@disabled.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
      raphaelmorgan@disabled.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
      raphaelmorgan@disabled.social
      wrote last edited by
      #177

      @manuelcaeiro @Linux_in_a_Bit some people just are ""stupid"" though? If I had to just read the manual and that was my only option to use Linux, I'd still be suffering on Windows. People you might consider "stupid" deserve access to free tech too, because liberation shouldn't be reserved for people with a certain amount of "intelligence" or any other white supremacist made up trait (or any real trait either, other than being alive)

      manuelcaeiro@mastodon.socialM 1 Reply Last reply
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      • yuki2501@masto.hackers.townY yuki2501@masto.hackers.town

        @emily_rugburn @Linux_in_a_Bit @raphaelmorgan Wow.

        emily_rugburn@lgbtqia.spaceE This user is from outside of this forum
        emily_rugburn@lgbtqia.spaceE This user is from outside of this forum
        emily_rugburn@lgbtqia.space
        wrote last edited by
        #178

        @yuki2501 ngl, i got the same response in most of my engineering classes...which is why i never finished engineering school

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        • linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchangeL linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchange

          What's the most common complaint I've heard about Linux?

          Not the installation process.
          Not finding a distro.
          Not getting programs to work.
          Not troubleshooting.
          Not hardware compatibility.

          The most common complaint about Linux I've seen is this:
          For a normal computer user, asking for help is just about impossible.

          They ask a simple question and:
          People respond "Did you Google it?"
          People complain that the question wasn't asked "correctly".
          People respond "RTFM"
          People get mad??? at them for making an easy mistake.

          We can't expect normal people to know to, or even know how to deal with any of that stuff.

          Search engines these days are awful, manuals are hard to read for most people (especially stuff like ArchWiki), and normal people make mistakes we think are easily avoidable.

          The solution to making Linux more popular is not ruthless promotion. The solution is to actually help the people who are trying to use it.

          #Linux

          cwg1231@defcon.socialC This user is from outside of this forum
          cwg1231@defcon.socialC This user is from outside of this forum
          cwg1231@defcon.social
          wrote last edited by
          #179

          @Linux_in_a_Bit you’re absolutely right, but the issue is on both sides. There’s a massive culture issue in tech where people are expected to magically know everything, and I think power users can mitigate it in part by being open about what we *don’t* know. The other issue is that volunteers have limited time, so new users do need to try google searching first and try RTFM first. They should be saying “I googled and read the manual and found these things, which I don’t understand. Please explain them to me.” And then power users need to politely explain things *without calling them stupid.*

          I wrote a decent bit about this in my blog post Linux for Mere Mortals. https://sudo-nano.github.io/posts/Linux-for-Mere-Mortals/

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • clayote@peoplemaking.gamesC clayote@peoplemaking.games

            @petros If you got started in 1993, and kept using it the whole time, then you were acquiring skills at the same rate as the RTFM jerks the post was about, and therefore, were never the object of the jerks' ire in the first place. So, your experience isn't at all representative for even people who got started in the 2000s, much less people who are getting started today.

            Maybe you should read the other replies and believe what relatively-newer users are saying.

            petros@literatur.socialP This user is from outside of this forum
            petros@literatur.socialP This user is from outside of this forum
            petros@literatur.social
            wrote last edited by
            #180

            @clayote

            I did not stop to be part of the community, so I did not stop to hear and to listen.

            Just ignore me, my experience does not count 😉

            Anyway, I made the effort to read through the answers, and, that's a mix of everything.

            There is a German saying which translates roughly as: When you shout in the woods, it's your echo that you hear.

            Have a good day.

            clayote@peoplemaking.gamesC 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchangeL linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchange

              What's the most common complaint I've heard about Linux?

              Not the installation process.
              Not finding a distro.
              Not getting programs to work.
              Not troubleshooting.
              Not hardware compatibility.

              The most common complaint about Linux I've seen is this:
              For a normal computer user, asking for help is just about impossible.

              They ask a simple question and:
              People respond "Did you Google it?"
              People complain that the question wasn't asked "correctly".
              People respond "RTFM"
              People get mad??? at them for making an easy mistake.

              We can't expect normal people to know to, or even know how to deal with any of that stuff.

              Search engines these days are awful, manuals are hard to read for most people (especially stuff like ArchWiki), and normal people make mistakes we think are easily avoidable.

              The solution to making Linux more popular is not ruthless promotion. The solution is to actually help the people who are trying to use it.

              #Linux

              rainer_rehak@mastodon.bits-und-baeume.orgR This user is from outside of this forum
              rainer_rehak@mastodon.bits-und-baeume.orgR This user is from outside of this forum
              rainer_rehak@mastodon.bits-und-baeume.org
              wrote last edited by
              #181

              @Linux_in_a_Bit I thought that #UbuntuLinux did quite a good job in doing that, no?

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • petros@literatur.socialP petros@literatur.social

                @clayote

                I did not stop to be part of the community, so I did not stop to hear and to listen.

                Just ignore me, my experience does not count 😉

                Anyway, I made the effort to read through the answers, and, that's a mix of everything.

                There is a German saying which translates roughly as: When you shout in the woods, it's your echo that you hear.

                Have a good day.

                clayote@peoplemaking.gamesC This user is from outside of this forum
                clayote@peoplemaking.gamesC This user is from outside of this forum
                clayote@peoplemaking.games
                wrote last edited by
                #182

                @petros Thank you for listening

                1 Reply Last reply
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                • linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchangeL linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchange

                  What's the most common complaint I've heard about Linux?

                  Not the installation process.
                  Not finding a distro.
                  Not getting programs to work.
                  Not troubleshooting.
                  Not hardware compatibility.

                  The most common complaint about Linux I've seen is this:
                  For a normal computer user, asking for help is just about impossible.

                  They ask a simple question and:
                  People respond "Did you Google it?"
                  People complain that the question wasn't asked "correctly".
                  People respond "RTFM"
                  People get mad??? at them for making an easy mistake.

                  We can't expect normal people to know to, or even know how to deal with any of that stuff.

                  Search engines these days are awful, manuals are hard to read for most people (especially stuff like ArchWiki), and normal people make mistakes we think are easily avoidable.

                  The solution to making Linux more popular is not ruthless promotion. The solution is to actually help the people who are trying to use it.

                  #Linux

                  november@chaosfem.twN This user is from outside of this forum
                  november@chaosfem.twN This user is from outside of this forum
                  november@chaosfem.tw
                  wrote last edited by
                  #183

                  @Linux_in_a_Bit Yeah, having friends who are linux nerds who will help me pretty much entirely changed my Linux experience

                  1 Reply Last reply
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                  • nawanp@fe.disroot.orgN nawanp@fe.disroot.org

                    Who are normal computer users? This is a genuine question. Don't forget that non-normal computer users don't magically know the answers to all your questions. They search, read the ArchWiki, and draw on past experiences.

                    #linux

                    clew@ecoevo.socialC This user is from outside of this forum
                    clew@ecoevo.socialC This user is from outside of this forum
                    clew@ecoevo.social
                    wrote last edited by
                    #184

                    Vaguely related; Microsoft pays help desk (or, okay, used to). And for decades most people learned Windows somewhere with paid support of some kind - schools, enterprise contracts.

                    And it doesn’t FOSS the same way the software does because teaching people doesn’t copy for free. Software’s like a tune, those always spread almost on their own. User education is like learning to play an instrument, that’s just as hard now as it was a hundred years ago.

                    @nawanp @Linux_in_a_Bit

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchangeL linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchange

                      What's the most common complaint I've heard about Linux?

                      Not the installation process.
                      Not finding a distro.
                      Not getting programs to work.
                      Not troubleshooting.
                      Not hardware compatibility.

                      The most common complaint about Linux I've seen is this:
                      For a normal computer user, asking for help is just about impossible.

                      They ask a simple question and:
                      People respond "Did you Google it?"
                      People complain that the question wasn't asked "correctly".
                      People respond "RTFM"
                      People get mad??? at them for making an easy mistake.

                      We can't expect normal people to know to, or even know how to deal with any of that stuff.

                      Search engines these days are awful, manuals are hard to read for most people (especially stuff like ArchWiki), and normal people make mistakes we think are easily avoidable.

                      The solution to making Linux more popular is not ruthless promotion. The solution is to actually help the people who are trying to use it.

                      #Linux

                      olivares@mastodon.socialO This user is from outside of this forum
                      olivares@mastodon.socialO This user is from outside of this forum
                      olivares@mastodon.social
                      wrote last edited by
                      #185

                      After years of using Linux, the main problem is, each solution need to be done in a terminal.
                      You can't avoid typing command in a terminal. And it's an accessibility problem, if you can't solve without it, you failed at bringing Linux to noobs.
                      On windows, lot of users don't know there is a terminal.
                      FYI, I'm in IT since ICQ.
                      BTW, I won't argue here, cause you know Linux fan boys (not you).

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchangeL linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchange

                        What's the most common complaint I've heard about Linux?

                        Not the installation process.
                        Not finding a distro.
                        Not getting programs to work.
                        Not troubleshooting.
                        Not hardware compatibility.

                        The most common complaint about Linux I've seen is this:
                        For a normal computer user, asking for help is just about impossible.

                        They ask a simple question and:
                        People respond "Did you Google it?"
                        People complain that the question wasn't asked "correctly".
                        People respond "RTFM"
                        People get mad??? at them for making an easy mistake.

                        We can't expect normal people to know to, or even know how to deal with any of that stuff.

                        Search engines these days are awful, manuals are hard to read for most people (especially stuff like ArchWiki), and normal people make mistakes we think are easily avoidable.

                        The solution to making Linux more popular is not ruthless promotion. The solution is to actually help the people who are trying to use it.

                        #Linux

                        krutonium@social.treehouse.systemsK This user is from outside of this forum
                        krutonium@social.treehouse.systemsK This user is from outside of this forum
                        krutonium@social.treehouse.systems
                        wrote last edited by
                        #186

                        @Linux_in_a_Bit I've always done my best to help people become able to help themselves. Show them how to find the information they need, how to search for it. Walk them through applying that information, being there to hold their hand but not lead. Never insult, never put them down.

                        I've had multiple of them come back to me later because other people were assholes when they just needed a clear answer.

                        And that's just not right.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchangeL linux_in_a_bit@infosec.exchange

                          What's the most common complaint I've heard about Linux?

                          Not the installation process.
                          Not finding a distro.
                          Not getting programs to work.
                          Not troubleshooting.
                          Not hardware compatibility.

                          The most common complaint about Linux I've seen is this:
                          For a normal computer user, asking for help is just about impossible.

                          They ask a simple question and:
                          People respond "Did you Google it?"
                          People complain that the question wasn't asked "correctly".
                          People respond "RTFM"
                          People get mad??? at them for making an easy mistake.

                          We can't expect normal people to know to, or even know how to deal with any of that stuff.

                          Search engines these days are awful, manuals are hard to read for most people (especially stuff like ArchWiki), and normal people make mistakes we think are easily avoidable.

                          The solution to making Linux more popular is not ruthless promotion. The solution is to actually help the people who are trying to use it.

                          #Linux

                          xoagray@tiggi.esX This user is from outside of this forum
                          xoagray@tiggi.esX This user is from outside of this forum
                          xoagray@tiggi.es
                          wrote last edited by
                          #187

                          @Linux_in_a_Bit This, 100%. Some help forums are absolutely toxic to new users.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • pikesley@mastodon.me.ukP pikesley@mastodon.me.uk

                            @deathkitten @CedC go for it, the notion that an LLM has an internal representation of *anything* is, um, crackpot at best tbh

                            clovis@bdx.townC This user is from outside of this forum
                            clovis@bdx.townC This user is from outside of this forum
                            clovis@bdx.town
                            wrote last edited by
                            #188
                            @pikesley @CedC @deathkitten LLM are somewhat essentialization engines, they learns characteristics of what they must reproduce. Those "summarized" characteristics are embodied in embeddings. It is possible to a certain extent to see that as what the LLM "knows".

                            When you have trained your model, embeddings alone can be valuable as "knowledge"
                            1 Reply Last reply
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                            • raphaelmorgan@disabled.socialR raphaelmorgan@disabled.social

                              @manuelcaeiro @Linux_in_a_Bit some people just are ""stupid"" though? If I had to just read the manual and that was my only option to use Linux, I'd still be suffering on Windows. People you might consider "stupid" deserve access to free tech too, because liberation shouldn't be reserved for people with a certain amount of "intelligence" or any other white supremacist made up trait (or any real trait either, other than being alive)

                              manuelcaeiro@mastodon.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                              manuelcaeiro@mastodon.socialM This user is from outside of this forum
                              manuelcaeiro@mastodon.social
                              wrote last edited by
                              #189

                              @raphaelmorgan @Linux_in_a_Bit
                              Do you understand English?
                              My sentence reads "Lower the standards as if people is stupid is a bad thing...", which means exactly the opposite.

                              note: if you intend to address me again with false allegations, please don't, because it will the last time you'll do it.

                              raphaelmorgan@disabled.socialR 1 Reply Last reply
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                              • manuelcaeiro@mastodon.socialM manuelcaeiro@mastodon.social

                                @raphaelmorgan @Linux_in_a_Bit
                                Do you understand English?
                                My sentence reads "Lower the standards as if people is stupid is a bad thing...", which means exactly the opposite.

                                note: if you intend to address me again with false allegations, please don't, because it will the last time you'll do it.

                                raphaelmorgan@disabled.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
                                raphaelmorgan@disabled.socialR This user is from outside of this forum
                                raphaelmorgan@disabled.social
                                wrote last edited by
                                #190

                                @manuelcaeiro @Linux_in_a_Bit my point is that some of us need those "lower standards". If someone not being able to RTFM and successfully search for everything we need to know makes us stupid, I am stupid and I need us to lower standards as if I am stupid
                                And allowing only people who aren't "stupid" to use a thing is ableist

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                                • cedc@diaspodon.frC This user is from outside of this forum
                                  cedc@diaspodon.frC This user is from outside of this forum
                                  cedc@diaspodon.fr
                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #191

                                  @clovis @deathkitten @pikesley
                                  Agreed, but I find it more impressive for a machine to “think” or getting close to it that being a know-it-all with a lot of embedding

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