2005-04-28

Beware The Linux Tourists

"And I gave that guy directions even though I didn't know the way. Because that's the kind of guy I am this week." --Homer Simpson

Do a web search for Linux desktop systems and you're likely to find opinions from many thousands of magazine-style authors. How do you know which ones to trust? Well, I would suggest that the ones who actually rely on a Linux desktop system will have the most relevant answers to your questions. Sadly, most of these magazine-style authors are just tourists who project their experience using Windows or Macintosh on to one of the many Linux distributions.

Tourists find it trendy or hip or lucrative to claim they run Linux. It makes them look sophisticated to their non-Linux-using peers. But their idea of running Linux is installing a new distro every week, frobnicating the control panels for a few hours, and taking thousands of screenshots of every window to prove they were there. When I say someone is using Linux I mean they don't go running [dual-booting] to Windows or Mac when they don't immediately know how to accomplish a task. When I say "Linux user" I generally mean they don't even own a Windows or Mac system.

So, how do you spot a Linux Tourist? It isn't too hard if you know the signs. Here are some common phrases to help you spot Linux Tourists:
  1. dual boot or multi boot
  2. (almost, will be, not) ready for the desktop
  3. (I, we, you, people, they) will use Linux
  4. switch to Linux
  5. I'm running (insert latest distro featured on TechTV) Linux this week.
  6. when it can run Windows programs (better, at all, that I lust for)
  7. too complicated
1) Dual booting to another OS is too tempting if you truly want to switch to Linux. 2) Linux has been ready for "the desktop" since at least 1998 when I started using it exclusively. Maybe it's not ready for your desktop because you're not willing, or sufficiently compelled, to give up your old OS and software. 3) Tens of millions of people, or more, use Linux all day every day. Whoever "they" are don't matter to anyone but the corporate Linux pushers. 4) Switching to Linux would imply that people don't already use Linux. Experience tells me otherwise. 5) Isn't it a bit difficult to get any work done if you're changing out your OS every week? 6) I think Windows will be more popular when it can run Linux programs. 7) Everything is too complicated when you are unwilling to learn.

Hi, my name is Dave and I am a Linux desktop user. Which Linux distro(s) do I use? Red Hat (and Fedora) Linux since 1997. Ubuntu Linux on my desktop systems since shortly after Warty Warthog released.

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- posted by Augur @ 12:29 [Permanent link]