Spoiled for choice is a good thing, and it’s one reason why Linux is great. I think the community could do better at two things in this regard:
Helping new users understand that the choice is not really a major one (relative to making the switch to Linux). Adjust whatever to your needs as you learn, or distro hop.
Not jumping down new users’ throats if they pick Ubuntu / Mint / Fedora / whatever. Again, the freedom is a plus. A new user picking Ubuntu doesn’t make an older user need to use Ubuntu. Let the new user have that joy of discovery how they want it.
I think if we all focused on these, the community would be better off for it. I’m all for a good ribbing about distros between experienced users, but it definitely can scare newbies away.
Options are great when you can make an informed choice. Too many similar choices lead to choice paralysis and regret, which is bad for first time users.
Yup. I’ve been trying to decide and install for, what how long have y’all been watching me dither three years?
Now i just have to get the backup computer working so if i fuck up, we still have a computer that can run all my wife’s work shit. That’s it after today’s errands! Guess i better put my eyes and legs on.
Maybe the same reason a 2 party system does well in the US. People are not intelligent enough to make their own choices (and they get overwhelmed) and want “daddy” to tell them what to choose, much like how Windows is just “the thing you use on a PC”. People don’t even want to find their own music anymore, they want the Al Gore Rhythm to feed them everything.
That’s why when people ask me on Linux I just say Mint, use default settings. Because they won’t understand anything else and Mint will likely work fine in 98% of cases.
Read “Nudge” by Richard Thaler. Choice architecture is a real thing that has impact on whether things we want to happen actually happen. It’s not because people aren’t smart enough.
I don’t understand the hate for Linux newbies using the “beginner’s” distros. Hell, I actively tell people looking to get into Linux to use a beginner distro and offer to set up their computer for them.
“Look, this is Linux mint, see how windows-y this looks and feels?”
They don’t need to know more than that, I’ll tell them if they look for installation instructions for something not in the software manager to follow the Debian or Ubuntu instructions and that they should run an update at least once a day but it isn’t painful.
Spoiled for choice is a good thing, and it’s one reason why Linux is great. I think the community could do better at two things in this regard:
Helping new users understand that the choice is not really a major one (relative to making the switch to Linux). Adjust whatever to your needs as you learn, or distro hop.
Not jumping down new users’ throats if they pick Ubuntu / Mint / Fedora / whatever. Again, the freedom is a plus. A new user picking Ubuntu doesn’t make an older user need to use Ubuntu. Let the new user have that joy of discovery how they want it.
I think if we all focused on these, the community would be better off for it. I’m all for a good ribbing about distros between experienced users, but it definitely can scare newbies away.
Options are great when you can make an informed choice. Too many similar choices lead to choice paralysis and regret, which is bad for first time users.
Yup. I’ve been trying to decide and install for, what how long have y’all been watching me dither three years?
Now i just have to get the backup computer working so if i fuck up, we still have a computer that can run all my wife’s work shit. That’s it after today’s errands! Guess i better put my eyes and legs on.
Maybe the same reason a 2 party system does well in the US. People are not intelligent enough to make their own choices (and they get overwhelmed) and want “daddy” to tell them what to choose, much like how Windows is just “the thing you use on a PC”. People don’t even want to find their own music anymore, they want the Al Gore Rhythm to feed them everything.
That’s why when people ask me on Linux I just say Mint, use default settings. Because they won’t understand anything else and Mint will likely work fine in 98% of cases.
Choice paralysis has nothing to do with intelligence. This attitude is forever pushing the year of the Linux desktop away.
Nice work getting in a jab at the US there lol
Read “Nudge” by Richard Thaler. Choice architecture is a real thing that has impact on whether things we want to happen actually happen. It’s not because people aren’t smart enough.
I don’t understand the hate for Linux newbies using the “beginner’s” distros. Hell, I actively tell people looking to get into Linux to use a beginner distro and offer to set up their computer for them.
“Look, this is Linux mint, see how windows-y this looks and feels?”
They don’t need to know more than that, I’ll tell them if they look for installation instructions for something not in the software manager to follow the Debian or Ubuntu instructions and that they should run an update at least once a day but it isn’t painful.