I have to say, I’ve only been using Linux for maybe 2 years now, and my experience has been the exact opposite.
Comment on Microsoft still can't convince folks to upgrade to Windows 11
TheFeatureCreature@lemmy.ca 6 months ago
I use Win11 on my main computer for work and school reasons. I need maximum compatibility and reliability and it has met those goals. Back in the day, I used to use Linux on my old laptops and I dual-booted it on my main PC. It has been awesome seeing how far it has come and I would like to get back into it some day.
That being said, a huge barrier for Linux and prospective new users is the community. The Linux community is highly combative and toxic and it absolutely sours what should (and could!) be a great experience. Almost every interaction I had while troubleshooting had some level of condescending attitude or outright hostility and there were numerous times I was directly insulted for asking for help - the most recent being a couple years ago when I was trying out a distro and had sound driver issues.
prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 months ago
cyberwolfie@lemmy.ml 6 months ago
That is also my experience. People are certainly opinionated which could be interpreted as hostility in some cases, but most people are willing to share and help when someone less knowledgable have gotten stuck with something.
DiabolicalBird@lemmy.ca 6 months ago
100% this. The Linux community seems very hostile to people trying to learn. The amount of times I’ve looked something up just to find a thread answered with “learn how to use search” or people just being outright mean to someone who is just figuring the basics out…
The year of the Linux desktop is never until the comnunity gets its toxic shithead problem under control.
ScoffingLizard@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 months ago
Been using Linux for 20 years. Never had this issue. Maybe I just did not notice due to the expectation of people being shitty in general.
DiabolicalBird@lemmy.ca 6 months ago
Sorry for the delayed, haven’t checked Lemmy in a bit. This is a topic I very much want other perspectives on.
It’s not distro specific, more so when I’m looking for help with specific issues that are often not distro specific. I don’t really post to ask, I look for solutions first and then ask after exhausting all other options.
Doesn’t really matter where I end up; some distro’s forum, Reddit, Stack Overflow, Lemmy, etc. I always end up finding dickheads telling the OP to learn how to use search or berating them for not understanding the issue enough to provide the exact information they want (yes, they can’t help without the right info but they don’t have to be dicks about it). Or they’re just super condescending when giving an answer. I tune them out and scroll past for the actual answers, but they’re there in a good chunk of posts I find.
I can see how it would be incredibly discouraging for someone making the leap for the first time. Tech communities often forget how little the average user knows about computers.