5/24/2018

Overly technical descriptions actually scares away potential users.

Though I've learned some technical stuff on the course of using Ubuntu and Linux Mint as my main operating systems, I understand why overly technical talk can be a turn off for many people when considering making their jump to Linux.

Even some of the philosophical part of why someone should consider making the jump can be off putting.

Most people care more if they can use Linux just as easily as they can use Windows or macOS. And the answer is yes, there are distros that are just as easy to use. Some are already using one, since they are using Android on their phones on the daily basis without giving it a second thought.

For some users that might have some technical questions, those concerns tend to be more specific to their end use than on the whole operating system at large. They just need to know if their going to have the apps they need to make the move, and keep being able to work without that many problems.

There is a need to stop using language that obfuscates things for the average user. They don't understand, or even care, about that aspect of the software. They just want to know that it works, and that is mainly answered by using the software.

Yes, that kind of language is still needed by developers to be able to communicate and make great software. But, there is a need to use more friendly language when talking to the average user.

5/15/2018

What distro to use is dependent on the user, no the other way around.

Among several reasons why Linux isn't more popular on the desktop, is the culture that surrounds it. For the most average, not to mention beginners, Linux seems like a really difficult OS to use.

It's not hard to see why, when the distros being push by most the experienced, or advanced, users are the ones like Debian or Arch. While both are solid distros, they are not ideal for most users.

Beginners simple don't have the experience, or skills, to deal with the issues that come setting up  those distros. And for users with more experience, and skills, many simply don't want to deal with them, or need a distro that allows them to concentrate on what they need they computer for.

Personally, I just want a distro that I just need to set up once and then just can use it without much of hustle.

For that, there is a need for distros like Ubuntu and Linux Mint. These two distros as user friendly as they come, and allow the user to just focus on what they want to use their computer for. Bashing them for that, is not really seeing that that's why the are so popular with most user, that they offer a easy to use distro that allows them to get done what they want to get done.

Not all users need a powerful, or flexible, distros for their daily computer usage. We need to refocus, and realize that we need to match the user with the right distro so they don't become frustrated with the experience of using Linux. Instead of trying to heard users to a particular distros, we need to give users the distro they actually need. 

While we all belong to particular communities within the Linux, and open source, at the end we all belong to the larger community. It's time to work together for the larger goals, while advancing the goals of our particular communities.

We need to work together, and change how we introduce new users to Linux.

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