Right. I spent the last several hours trying to get a mixed batch of Win10, Win11, and Win10-upgraded-from-8 computers to talk to a printer and had just about enough of this argument. If you want a pissing match of who can be the biggest dick, take it to Twitter.
Locked.
There’s only so much incessant bitching I can hear about dark patterns, intrusive automatic updates, shoehorned-in and useless AI, zero user choice, planned obsolesence, and being blindsided by enshittification before I say “just try using the free thing that doesn’t have those problems”.
“I’ve tried nothing, and I’m all out of ideas.” If you have to for work or something, though, I totally get it and encourage the bitching.
I hear you, but in a lot of these cases the people with complaints are not competent. Anyone who has worked helpdesk or adjacent has seen boatloads of 'em. Imagine I’m an oldie or fool or even grew up without electrical power and I barely know how a computer works. I don’t really want to work with them and I think turning the monitor on and off is a reboot. Windows is horrible with all this bloat and AI and so much confusing shit but usability-wise it makes some sense I guess. I could do with a change but I can’t do anything confusing or outside of my limited range. I’m probably not installing a good distro. I am not partitioning a drive. I am not creating a bootable USB. What do I do?
The only option here is to have them go out on a limb and buy a machine online pre-installed with Linux or have someone else set it up, right?
What do I do?

Not literally, of course. But if you don’t have the baseline level of skill to exist in a technological society without being absolutely reamed by predatory corporations and other scammers and also refuse help to learn how to defend yourself, at some point that’s a “you” problem and you deserve to fucking lose.
While I agree with the “fuck 'em” attitude to a certain extent I’m not sure that should apply to the entire gradient of differently abled. A lot of people who are mentally infirm have to continue to work in this hellscape and may have real roadblocks preventing learning about 'puters and the interweb and there’s not a whole lot of resources anyway for people who don’t live in the city. But yeah I don’t expect a magic answer. Your GIF might actually be the best way haha.
Boomerism is not a mental illness they just don’t understand computers
Just don’t hire incompetent people then
The year of the Linux Desktop doesn’t happen when people shut up about Linux.
I have a fundamental problem with this attitude. If you recognize there’s a problem, and the problem disturbs you, and you CAN fix it, why not fix it? It’s not world hunger, it’s a computer for God’s sakes. Maybe I don’t want to hear people complain about problems that are 100% within their control and refuse to fix it.
Not about GNU/Linux. Just my thoughts on complaining about simple problems with easy solutions.

Edit: typo
If you recognize there’s a problem, and the problem disturbs you, and you CAN fix it, why not fix it?
Because if the fix for any particular problem is to learn a new OS, that’s a steep cost for things that can just be minor annoyances. If you’re in Lemmy, chances are you’re comfortable with nerdy shit, and not everyone is.
On top of that, Linux has its own quirks, so it’s not a panacea. There’s no easy way for me to change scroll speed on a track pad in fedora/gnome, for example.
I installed Mint on my MIL computer. I did not have to spend time teaching her anything. People are able to switch from Windows to Apple no problem but for some reason Linux is
learn a new OS, that’s a steep cost
But using Linux is not a solution, that is the whole point of the post. Why can’t you read?
I CAN NOT install a different OS on my work computer because I do not manage them and NONE of our company software works on Linux.
I’d get more use out of it if I just smash my computer with a brick than if I switched the OS to Linux.
If enough people bring it up to their work, then the policy can be re-evaluated.
I take it to the next level and rant at our CEO about it. We’ve actually saved a good amount of money with Linux.
I reply “just use Linux” because I’m hoping for the one in a million chance that your boss reads the thread and goes “what’s Linux?” and then decides to switch your company to Linux.
Oh look, I found someone who didn’t read the post
Do you have a few minutes to talk about our lord and saviour, Linus Torvalds?
Allow me to interject for a moment to talk about our holy father Richard Stallman…
Recite the GPL in its entirety over a bag of Fritos a la the Eucharist. The Fritos will transsubstantiate into that thing he ate off his foot that one time.
Curse you, filthy heretic!
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It’s the nail in the head all over again
How this same conversation can sound to non-technical folks:
“my boyfriend left his dirty socks in the living room AGAIN.”
“Well maybe you should switch boyfriends”
“…what?”
Blissful ignorance.
Are we really going to start enlightened centrist memes over Linux?
I say this as someone who daily drives Linux on their framework laptop, who self hosts jellyfin, home assistant, searxng, ollama, etc.
For a lot of folks, their lives don’t revolve around computers. I know that folks on Lemmy tend to skew more towards that computer lifecycle, but we gotta recognize that we’re out of the norm in that regard.
So what? I’m tired of shit aimed at the lowest common denominator and won’t comment as if I need to appeal to or be understood by those who can’t be bothered to learn a bit about things that play a major role in society.
They are tired of hearing about linux? Well I’m tired of hearing about whining about windows, plus I blame their inattention for enablong the enshitification in the first place because windows would be much better if more people were willing to look at alternative options. A lot of shit would be better if that were the case.
Though usually I don’t bother engaging at all and only really engage when there’s pushback saying it’s hard (I found it less effort overall than installing windows and getting it to a state where I don’t hate interacting with it so much), or these kind of arguments that imply because it’s not as accessible a lot of people, it shouldn’t be brought up or something?
“you are constantly complaining to me about your boyfriend and he doesn’t seem to listen to you. Why are you still with him?”
This is the level of delusion the average Linux evangelist operates at.
Thinking you should leave an abusive boyfriend / girlfriend is delusional now?
Shh, just let them complain about their boyfriend.
This brings back bad memories lol
You mean from just now? Otherwise I don’t get the reference
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are you saying ms is not invading users’ privacy by scanning all their files, contents included, it possible? while also removing more and more control options over how the system runs
I feel like they’re saying that what you described doesn’t equate to do getting hit in the face by your boyfriend, which is subjective.
its_a_metaphore.avi
Right, it’s worse.
Every professional Windows admin feels this in their bones. I hate Windows and Microsoft more than most of you ever could. Still gotta work with it unless the CIO gets the green light to rebuild the whole company’s infrastructure, commission at least one enterprise solution from scratch, and probably get fired in the process.
If I have to see you whining about windows, you have to see me shilling for linux.
/s
This but without the /s
use linux
Sir, this is a
Wendy’sLinux meme community.People don’t want solutions, they want to bitch endlessly and have a horde of strangers agree with them. Then they can also bitch about nothing improving!
People in my life get the benefit of “are you looking for solutions or are you looking for empathy?” Randos on the Internet don’t get to use everyone else as free therapists.
Yeah, “just use Linux” is equivalent to “I’m tired of hearing about windows shit” and a bit more polite than, “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”.
Same mood when people complain about corpo media
I feel for them, but they should know they are making a choice by staying
But sir, this is a Linux community.
Love how the post and comic are about listening to others and don’t try to troubleshoot/solve their problem and 15% of people are like “absolutely not”.
More like 50%
Don’t care, use Linux.
It’s the ethical choice.
Don’t put yourself in the learned helplessness box










