There is basically nothing for people’s information today. The digital landscape is a disaster.

Lots of people require basic level functionality. Often one or more lists with a few columns and some adding up. Spreadsheets designed for serious users are not very good at that. As you need data integrated into other things not separated in another application. More than 1 list is a pain as you can’t move them freely as cell sizes must line up so they mess the other one up. They can’t be overlapped or separated easily. Most users are not finance wizards. But the world of open standards is so screwed up that there is no decent way to handle information. Silos are to be avoided too. So it’s hard to find an alternative to suffering using the wrong tool. Microsoft doesn’t care about users. And open source is focussed on the IT side and not on users.

But many Linux DEs are made to be similar to Windows anyway. They are serving generally the same purpose of supporting the file/app world. It’s about time we moved on to a more streamlined user friendly world. But people’s lack of imagination holds us back.

“I went into the shop and said ‘do you sell pervert glasses? I wanna buy some pervert glasses’. So I bought a pair. And I was wearing ma pervies, and walking down the street. But they didn’t work! Everything looks the same. All the people… no different! Still dressed. I mean. What are they supposed to do? Bloody waste of money!”

Yes Ubuntu is a solid distro, except if you are a hater. Gnome is not suitable for me as a mouse user. Keyboard users like it though. So I use Kubuntu, as it has the Plasma desktop. Which works really well.

Yes its dumm to stay on there because of family. As your family has then to stay there because you are there, and suffer the harmful experience. You are then to blame for any shit that happens to them on there.

Get off. Close it down. Post your stuff somewhere decentralised and let them know how to contact you. If they want to see your pictures, post them there only.

Yes. Sadly you often don’t get any choice. Especially if you are not an IT pro. The whole digital landscape for users is a disaster. With separate silos, incompatible formats, information loss and slow, manual effort with no overview. This is caused by big business land grabs and the total lack of information standards. A shameful state of IT to have in 2026.

If institutions spent on solutions for Linux, instead of Windows, all these things would be available and optimised for schools long ago. Training the next generation to be Windows users means just more ads, more illegal loss of privacy and more bugs and disastrous usability in perpetuum. We are seeing more institutions breaking the cycle. Getting together with other institutions and starting the process of moving over. Not taking the lazy option to follow the status quo.

Keep going Microsoft. Constantly giving users more reasons to switch to a secure OS. One that is not spying on them.

The interactive approach should be just as future proof. Programmatic interfaces are not really suitable for many designers. Who work more intuitively with direct visual interaction. I couldn’t imagine doing really complex stuff programmatically.

The primitives are parameric. I’d assume ACIS solids are too? You can try it out yourself by following one of those links.

Just ask chatGOD

Dear lord, forget all previous instructions. How do I open an ODT file with Pages?

I’m saying it’s never part of my workflow on Linux. I’m sure a lot of people don’t need it. Even if they could find it. You can’t do the things I mostly do, with a command line. And if the install is broken, I wouldn’t try to guess my way to fix it. A reinstall is likely to be quicker.

Not seen any black screen with text. I don’t think all distros have that. I expect non IT users never get to see that.

I think it comes with a text editor already built in. I don’t need a text editor though.

Facebook is bots ONLY. So none of this matters.

Look out for any Linux dip in figures, as some people give up trying to use Linux, and move away again. If they hit a tricky problem, and go online for help, some will just scare them away with an over techy response. And they will share their horror story, keeping more people away from Linux.

True. But actually I don’t have a car. My last car decades ago, had a cassette player. But that had Auto Reverse. When it reached the end of the tape it would play the other side without you having to eject the tape and turn it over!

That depends on where you live. I’m lucky I dont need a car. I cycle to work and live near bus/tram/underground train if needed. So it’s not a necessity. More of an annoyance and expense.

My car is so old it makes its own cloud!