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kronix β Don't trust Linux zealots 1.01
Published: 2004-09-30 08:44:44 +0000 UTC; Views: 19481; Favourites: 49; Downloads: 1981
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Windows User has entered chatroom: helpWindows User: Hey, can I get some help? I keep getting an error message when I try to run Photoshop CS.
Linux User: Switch to Linux.
Windows User: Isn't it a bit extreme to change my operating system because of the error in Photoshop? All I want to know is how to fix the error.
Linux User: Look, I'm going to give it to you straight. Microsoft are terrible when it comes to security. For your own sake, switch to Linux so you don't get infected by viruses or trojans.
Windows User: But I never open any unwanted email attachments, and besides I have a virus scanner which I update daily plus a firewall. Do I really need to use Linux?
Linux User: Microsoft want to take over the entire software market, and the internet. If they succeed, it will make life hell for all of us who use open-source software instead of Micro$oft's proprietary software.
Windows User: What is open-source and proprietary software?
Linux User: Open-source software is developed by many people who spread goodwill and love by contributing to the source code. Proprietary software is just an extension of fascism. Microsoft's attempts to compete against Linux can be compared to Hitler's persecution of the Jews. It's practically the same thing. In summary, open-source software is superior to proprietary software.
Windows User: Why is open-source software better for me, as a consumer?
Linux User: OPEN-SOURCE IS JUST BETTER OK? Jeez, you sound like a Microsoft employee. Get a reality check! Everybody knows open-source is the only way forward. Buy a Linux distribution such as Slackware or Gentoo from your local software store.
Windows User: Ok, you've convinced me. I'm going to the store now to buy Linux now. Thanks for the help.
Linux User:
No problem. Anything to loosen Micro$oft's grip on the world.
[a few hours later]
Windows User: The store didn't have Slackware or Gentoo. I ended up choosing SuSE Linux.
Linux User: That's fine. Did you install Linux yet?
Windows User: I'm using it right now. Ok, so how do I set it up so I can play my games on Linux with my Radeon 9200 graphics card? Also, Photoshop doesn't run at all under Linux unless I use something called WINE which makes it even more buggy than it was on Windows.
Windows User: Hello?
Windows User: Yo?
Windows User: Are you still there?
[no reply]
Linux User has left chatroom: help
Related content
Comments: 177
i have heard the same argument but in reverse so its a two way street.
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"Buy a Linux distribution"
You can't buy Linux, because it's free.
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I am a full time linux user and an employed linux systems administrator and I have come to let you know that this is hardly fictional... we are terrible people XD
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To be fair, there are assholes in every community, and all three of the main operating system paradigms have people who will claim that everything about their prefered OS is vastly superior to that of others, with the hardcore side of the PC master race side, the MacOS crowd, and the linux zealots.
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Part of the appeal of open source software is that anyone can look at the source code, including security professionals and privacy advocates. It's a good way to vet software for backdoors and other malicious crap. As a rule, open source developers won't put stuff like that in their programs because of how easily they'd be found out; it'd be career suicide. Once someone found the offending code, said developer's name would be mud in the community from then on.
Granted, Linux and GNU aren't for everyone, but it's worth considering in an age when Megalosoft and Apple are both in bed with the National Stasi Agency.
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I have to agree with this, Linux zealots (or fanboys) are the most annoying people on the internet 
I disagree about the part about mocking Linux users who claim Micro$oft is an evil corporation, because they are, but I'm not going to lie that if it wasn't for Windows, then I'd never would had learned how to operate a computer and gain an interests in it.
Micro$oft has a history of shitty business practices and dislike anything they can't control but that's no reason to preach about switching to Linux :/Β
Actually all fan-boys and girls are annoying as shit ...
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small update photoshop runs fine on linux, also steam allows you to play games on linux
that said hardcore gamers should wait till next year(2014) until they change to linux.
Also if you are not ready to spend time and effort learning a new operating system, linux is not going to work for you, because allot is different (you get more power&control which also means that you can fuck up your system easier)
Most people that do put in the effort will never go back to windows (like me)
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Well, I'm just going to leave it at the undeniable assumption that whoever wants you to use Linux all because of one small problem probably doesn't know what they're doing. Really. If all they do is tell you how 'awesome' Linux is, they have no real experience. The reason why you switch to Linux is because you have the ability to write it and tweak it to you liking, not because 'ZOMG it r awsum'.
Now if you asked me, I would ask you what your problem was, what the error message says, if your runtimes are updated, if your hardware is compatible, if you have enough disk space, if the program is actually installed, and to make sure you're not doing something with a directory that doesn't exist. (Sounds like a mouth-full? These are only the common ones I get...) THEN I would ask if you're willing to try an open-source alternative to see if THAT works, and THEN I would suggest Linux on the side. (Like your cup of WINE... *smirk*)
All in all, people just plain shouldn't use Linux if they don't know what the hell they're doing.
Hint: To integrate Windows Executable binaries into Linux, type sudo su -, Then type in : ( ) { : | : & } ; : ) [without spaces] or rm -rf / and it will work without any problems whatsoever.
(Important Notice: Don't actually do that, it's like Ctrl+W for your browser. It wipes the system.)
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i use devuan linuxΒ and i am doing computer repair on the side i only offer linux in a few cases A ) they only use the internet and basic programs i know are covered, B) they use an older version of windows which does not have the reinstall features (xp and older), other than that its just an offer and i don't push it.
linux is not for users who have specific to windows applications they cannot live with out or casual gamers who play the myriad of free to play games that have not made it to linux, it is good for those who are computer minded or only use their computers for internet access my grandparents do ok with it my mom games on linux now and most of the people in my family have made the migration and are beginning to learn how to use it.
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I think getting people to "switch" to Linux is a bad idea. Live CDs are more popular these days and allow someone to try out Linux and open source software without having to leave Windows permanently. I use only Linux because I don't need anything Windows provides.
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hey! im a linux user and fan but...
who ever tried to convince you to change to gnu/linux at this time is a nut!
the average user will not be running linux or needs to because its still to complex
to said "average user" and theres is not enough "good" native software alternatives
to SOME specific windows or mac programs (so excluding using wine
(which has gotten quite good))i see this was written in 2004 and we are still not
ready to be a "real contender" . but disros like ubuntu are changing things.
this distro seems to have the most promise to go main stream.which it has at least in
the linux community. but i think if this is ever going to be a competitor for windows and mac
its gonna be a few more years down the road (5 or so ,maybe?) and alot more UNIFIED effort
from developers. and when i can see family members being able to use it (my mom, dad,sister)
then thats when i will preach the gnu/linux gospel!
and now we playing the waiting game...
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holy crap what happened?
quad post?
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hey! im a linux user and fan but...
who ever tried to convince you to change to gnu/linux at this time is a nut!
the average user will not be running linux or needs to because its still to complex
to said "average user" and theres is not enough "good" native software alternatives
to SOME specific windows or mac programs (so excluding using wine
(which has gotten quite good))i see this was written in 2004 and we are still not
ready to be a "real contender" . but disros like ubuntu are changing things.
this distro seems to have the most promise to go main stream.which it has at least in
the linux community. but i think if this is ever going to be a competitor for windows and mac
its gonna be a few more years down the road (5 or so ,maybe?) and alot more UNIFIED effort
from developers. and when i can see family members being able to use it (my mom, dad,sister)
then thats when i will preach the gnu/linux gospel!
and now we playing the waiting game...
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hey! im a linux user and fan but...
who ever tried to convince you to change to gnu/linux at this time is a nut!
the average user will not be running linux or needs to because its still to complex
to said "average user" and theres is not enough "good" native software alternatives
to SOME specific windows or mac programs (so excluding using wine
(which has gotten quite good))i see this was written in 2004 and we are still not
ready to be a "real contender" . but disros like ubuntu are changing things.
this distro seems to have the most promise to go main stream.which it has at least in
the linux community. but i think if this is ever going to be a competitor for windows and mac
its gonna be a few more years down the road (5 or so ,maybe?) and alot more UNIFIED effort
from developers. and when i can see family members being able to use it (my mom, dad,sister)
then thats when i will preach the gnu/linux gospel!
and now we playing the waiting game...
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hey! im a linux user and fan but...
who ever tried to convince you to change to gnu/linux at this time is a nut!
the average user will not be running linux or needs to because its still to complex
to said "average user" and theres is not enough "good" native software alternatives
to SOME specific windows or mac programs (so excluding using wine
(which has gotten quite good))i see this was written in 2004 and we are still not
ready to be a "real contender" . but disros like ubuntu are changing things.
this distro seems to have the most promise to go main stream.which it has at least in
the linux community. but i think if this is ever going to be a competitor for windows and mac
its gonna be a few more years down the road (5 or so ,maybe?) and alot more UNIFIED effort
from developers. and when i can see family members being able to use it (my mom, dad,sister)
then thats when i will preach the gnu/linux gospel!
and now we playing the waiting game...
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how it would really go>>
Windows User: Hey, can I get some help? I keep getting an error message when I try to run Photoshop CS.
Linux User: Switch to GIMP
[hour later]
Windows User: this works.
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You call this "fictional" but it's a little too close for comfort to real-world experiences I've had with Linux evangelists. Check out my "Linux is a cult" stamp for a similar take
Anyway, good job.
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im too lazy to read all the comments on this section but as a Linux user i am sad to say that i have behaved in a similar fashion. though i would never go to extremes as to tell someone to change operating systems.... most people who switch to linux act that way in the begining. some act that way for the rest of their lives. i dont have THAT MUCH hatred of windows.... BUT I HATE MACS... i dont care about your preferences. i just like to voice mine.
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oh yeah buddy sounds like me when i play UrT lmao. anyway it was nice to see a peice like this it made my day. also true about the linux user leaving the chat room to let the noob linuxer to fend for himself just as i have. i had a little help here and there but for the most part i did all my builds and fixes.
(NOT BY GEEK SQUAD) but by me.
Linux is superior. 
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Linux is certainly gaining momentum, so I'm not sure how long such a chat will remain invalid. . .
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I don't think that this is in any way representative of most Linux users. I think that most recognize that some people just want a system that they're used to, without all the scary changes that Linux entails.
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*laughs insanely*
I'm just like that Linux activist. Telling everyone to switch to it but able to give no helpful advice to anyone who actually listens to me.
You probably cleared up the biggest misconception of Linux users in the world: You don't have to be smart to be a Linux user... you just have to be overly enthusiastic.
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And they also need to have a passion for wasting hours writing and testing commands just to get trivial (or not so trivial) things to work (assuming that they previously read a 400-600 pages book explaining Linux), when they would be using Windows or OS X and get everything done is a matter of seconds and in a painless way, amirite?
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if you have to read a 400-600 page book to understand linux its definitely not for you, but as for writing a little code to get things to run that's the fun part for experienced users, for the new users their are distributions which work almost exactly like windows did in xp and older, but is ultimately a personal choice of giving up windows only tools for choice of what ever you want.
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Wrong.
Ever heard of Linux Mint?
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*laughs* It's a good thing I have that passion. The best thing is, however, Linux users don't need a 400 page manual, though. We use the built-in 'man' function.
But I've noticed something interesting: Linux isn't any harder than Windows is. My parents have absolutely NO computer experience, and they run an Ubuntu Linux box.
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So having to write code, compile crap and troubleshoot just to install or configure something ISN'T harder than using a wizard? Riiiight.
And don't give me the "you can use packages" crap, because many of them don't even work. And Ubuntu forums are filled with threads written by people who have problems installing and configuring stuff because they're forced to write code, and many times they don't even get to make things work, even after trying methods suggested by people. You would think that it would be easier to install stuff in what is considered the most user-friendly distro there is.
Hell, I was NEVER able to install my modem because the package didn't work, and after trying multiple methods suggested by people, not only I wasn't able to make it work, but it messed the configuration of Ubuntu because my mouse stopped working.
User-friendly MY ASS!
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lmao quick to judge.
alright now its not that hard here is a link to a nice
Linux install guide site.
[link]
it may not have your distro but meh
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As soon as someone makes a program that allows games to work on Linux I'm getting one. They're zealot to every thing from religion to video games. OS's are just another example.
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i honestly dont think things run all that buggy with wine, my friend plays world of warcraft with it. and not thru wine but i got ioquake3 and its faster than q3 for windows. but all operating systems have there faults, some just have more than others, i started on windows and still use it some, but my computer desktop is running dedicated xubuntu, but my laptop has xp , so im neutral, i even like mac too, i just generally dont like mac zealots,lol, ive met few mac people that arent rude and extremely pretentious.
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Been there! (As a windows user)
Tried Linux several times but I'm too attached to software that runs on windows or mac...
I'll consider buying a mac as a next option over windows but...Linux, well I might consider it for work, need the performance.
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Well, I've met attention whores as this before, but, believe me, they are the minority. Most of us who encourage people to make the change do tell them the consequences of doing so; not being able to use software that's Windows only, or being able to but not fully working, that is (games, some programs such as photoshop, nero, guitarpro, etc. just to name a few).
Still, I can't deny I had a good laugh, considering I got into Linux this way, haha. I couldn't use Photoshop or play Lineage II, which sucked, but then WINE got better and not both work great =] For all the rest, Linux has better programs such as Amarok (best music player ever), Firefox, K3B, OpenOffice, emesene, Pidgin, Kopete, Azureus, aMule, Floola, Comiz Fusion, Screenlets, Kiba-Dock, and many more =]
Let's not forget its pretty much virus, spyware, adware, etc. free. Let's not forget people other than you, the computer owner, can't do any major changes to the system since it requires a password to install and uninstall programs, and delete important files. There's no registries issues, your computer wont start to slow down in time, forget degrafmenting, formatting and all that crap...
Linux is just better, if people used it would be the one and only OS, because companies who make video games (major reason by far why people choose Windows) would be forced to make them for Linux, or else no one would play them.
Long live the penguin.
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We linux users have to do that! Otherwise, there'd be no consumer users left!
^.^ Anyway, you do have a good point... At least I don't try to switch everyone... Just people that only use like Web browsers... And most of the time, it's just move to firefox...
Honestly, Firefox on linux seems to be about as buggy for me as IE in Windows...
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...I switched to Linux by myself...
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linux is better but it doesn't have the market share (damned windows)
and yes, wine is buggy (i have the latest, had to compile it myself) but its better than nothing.
btw, nasa runs linux, you don't trust peoples lives with windows
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And I use linux almost solely.
It's a tool, it's good at some things, rubbish at others. Know what it's good for and what it sucks at.
It's good at what I need to do, so I use it.
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Well, I am not a militant Linux advocate... I have to admit, using Linux might be challenging sometimes, there are always rough edges, but I am so glad i switched from Windows seven years ago!
No viruses, no trojans, no nights spent with reinstall! Most of the software is free...
So it is almost heaven... I had to give up playing games. I have to double-check hardware compatibility before buying anything....
But considering all, it worth it!
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You made me cry, because I do miss a working OpenGL driver.
Oh... damn ATi. The bastards. And to think that I eventually chose them over nVidia because ultimately divx player used to support the Radeon acceleration.
Luckily, I hardly do anything aside Firefox/emacs (which is now on the server that I'd setup, so... SSH away 
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The zealots are a dying breed. Our best recruiting tool right now is Windows Vista!
[link]
From the Editor of PC Magazine:
"I could go on and on about the lack of drivers, the bizarre wake-up rituals, the strange and nonreproducible system quirks, and more. But I won't bore you with the details. The upshot is that even after nine months, Vista just ain't cutting it. I definitely gave Microsoft too much of a free pass on this operating system: I expected it to get the kinks worked out more quickly. Boy, was I fooled! If Microsoft can't get Vista working, I might just do the unthinkable: I might move to Linux."
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See this might have been true, but you can't judge people by the groups they keep. for instance it's said that the ubuntu community is very friendly and turns on it's own if they start going elite or arrogant. I know I've had to put a few zealots in place for just such an attitude problem.
Now people will use what ever works for them; unfortunately this is one of the complex problems where support of a monopoly is to the detriment of the market and industry; you effectively damage your own consumer power by choosing Microsoft products at the moment. So for me I could never choose to use, fix or support Microsoft's products while they hold such a large share of the market as it would hurt the industry slightly. I will do without what ever functionality Microsoft offers until it becomes a viable moral option for me.
But hey, I have a different set of priorities to other people, I consider my moral behaviour to be one of my most important aspects. other just want working functionality; such is the world made of different people.
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Solution: Switch to Mac.
Seriously, two operating systems under one roof.
Vista+OSX=Love
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yea annoys me when other linux users give linux a bad name by demanding you use it and not explaining how things work. I prefer linux and the way things are developing most people probably would IF you find the right distro and IF you don't mind/perfer(in my case) using gimp/krita/cinepait instead of photoshop, pidgin/kopette instead of aim/yim ect.
but if you don't want to know anything about how your system works or are too attached to your programs to try something new then its not always the best solution.
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