The shift to SaaS and Windows 11 updates means you no longer own your software. Here is how free software tools can help you reclaim control.

  • IratePirate@feddit.org
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    24 hours ago

    I’m happy that things did work out for you, and indeed, “breaking shit and fixing it” is part of the rites of passage on Linux.

    That said, I guess you’re part of the “tech-savvy tinkerer” crowd. This demographic will handle these things gracefully and take every breakdown as a learning opportunity.

    Coming from this demographic, it’s easy to forget that there are people out there that deem computers mere tools, not a hobby. These people expect things to “just work”, and any breakage is an annoyance, a road block, a “this Linux thing sucks”. Set them up with a tinkerer’s distro, and you will make them thoroughly unhappy. Not because they’re wrong. Not because we’re wrong. Just because of a mismatch of expectations.

    So, dear penguins: let’s not blindly advertise our pet distro to whoever asks (or doesn’t). Let’s look at who is before us, and provide them with the best experience possible. In a lot of cases, due to the influx of “just works” users, this may mean something stable in order not to put them off.

    • greyscale@lemmy.grey.ooo
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      10 hours ago

      Skill issue. People cannot just passively expect to understand a complicated thing without applying themselves.

      If they can’t use a computer, they can’t use a computer.

      • IratePirate@feddit.org
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        9 hours ago

        Using != fixing.

        Do you need to learn how to drive (“use”) a car? Absolutely. Do you need to have intricate knowledge of its inner workings and be able to fix even the smallest component in case it breaks? No. That’s for enthusiasts.

        • greyscale@lemmy.grey.ooo
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          8 hours ago

          Hard disagree. Less people should drive, they have no mechanical sympathy and scant grasp of what they’re doing.

          Its just as a society we’ve decided to enable them because it meant we could sell cars.

          • IratePirate@feddit.org
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            5 hours ago

            I whole-heartedly support helping people get more tech literate. I just doubt that the kind of elitism you’re displaying is the way to get there.