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1. Embed this notice
   Jules (afewbugs@social.coop)'s status on Wednesday, 22-May-2024 17:31:09 JST Jules

   "Just use Linux" is much like "just ride a bike" or "just shop at a refill store" - accessing the non default option can be time consuming, expensive or unavailable locally. We need to recognise you need a certain degree of privilege to have the capacity to complicate your life voluntarily. We need to be trying to make the better, harder thing more accessible, not blaming people for not using it.

   • Embed this notice
     Jay Baker (mediaactivist@todon.eu)'s status on Wednesday, 22-May-2024 17:31:02 JST Jay Baker

     in reply to

     • hazelnot :yell:
     • Mux2000 (edge case)

     @Mux @hazelnot @afewbugs I teach tech, mostly to folks who tend to be older and less confident. The most common response to this proposal tends to be around the fact that, ironically, they trust big tech companies more, even if they hate them; if it's free - many assume - then it must also be worthless. They struggle on with a clunkier, more confusing Windows operating system because of this, when they could be using an OS more comparable to the one many of them use on their phone (essentially a free, open source OS with a simple software centre). I agree that we cannot underestimate the mass marketing of Microsoft that promotes their inferior product. I remember mentioning this challenge to folks who work on Linux, who told me "We don't have time or money to do publicity, we're busy working on creating a better OS." There's the rub!

   • Embed this notice
     Mux2000 (edge case) (mux@swingset.social)'s status on Wednesday, 22-May-2024 17:31:03 JST Mux2000 (edge case)

     in reply to

     • hazelnot :yell:

     @hazelnot
     Which is just as good a reason not to upgrade to the latest Windows as it is to not switch to Linux.

     People should not have to deal with new, confusing interfaces when they don't have the mental bandwidth to do so, but that applies equally to both. Linux is not special in that way.

     @afewbugs

   • Embed this notice
     hazelnot :yell: (hazelnot@sunbeam.city)'s status on Wednesday, 22-May-2024 17:31:04 JST hazelnot :yell:

     in reply to

     • Mux2000 (edge case)

     @Mux @afewbugs yeah, which people feel forced to adapt to, while switching to Linux feels like a waste of time and energy when you're working two jobs just so you don't starve or end up homeless

   • Embed this notice
     Mux2000 (edge case) (mux@swingset.social)'s status on Wednesday, 22-May-2024 17:31:05 JST Mux2000 (edge case)

     in reply to

     • hazelnot :yell:

     @hazelnot
     Neither is Microsoft's latest os, whatever that is. Every time I have to use one I'm completely confused because each version has a completely different interface.

     Honestly Classic Gnome on Ubuntu would be so much more familiar to anyone who was there for the Win95/XP/Vista era than modern Windows interfaces.

     People get used to what they're given. Don't underestimate people. They can learn a new interface pretty quickly. They have been doing so for decades.
     @afewbugs

   • Embed this notice
     hazelnot :yell: (hazelnot@sunbeam.city)'s status on Wednesday, 22-May-2024 17:31:06 JST hazelnot :yell:

     in reply to

     • Mux2000 (edge case)

     @Mux @afewbugs it's not about it being "for nerds" or not, it's simply less accessible because it's not The Default and it's not what people are already used to using

     There's always gonna be an uphill struggle in cases like these, and blaming people for not essentially gambling away their time for something unknown to them just reinforces the idea that Linux is for pretentious nerds

   • Embed this notice
     Mux2000 (edge case) (mux@swingset.social)'s status on Wednesday, 22-May-2024 17:31:07 JST Mux2000 (edge case)

     in reply to

     @afewbugs
     People have been working on making Linux more available for decades now. It's at the stage where it's probably more intuitive, more usable and more friendly than Windows ever was.

     Yes, it's different, and thus requires investment in familiarizing yourself with a different os, but it's no worse than going, say, from win10 to win11.

     The "Linux is for nerds" meme has to die.

   • Embed this notice
     Alexandre Oliva (lxo@gnusocial.net)'s status on Thursday, 23-May-2024 04:11:45 JST Alexandre Oliva

     in reply to
     as opposed to having your life complicated on purpose by those who control the software they rely on, and who profit from the roadblocks they place on your way? thanks but no thanks