Why, Oh Why, Are So Many Linux Users Mean to Newcomers?
The biggest lie in Linux is that it’s hard to learn. That lie’s perpetuated by Linux users who can’t be bothered to provide full, well explained solutions to the difficulties had by new Linux users. The number of times I’ve visited a forum to answer a few support queries and seen other Linux users refuse to help newbies install software because they think the newbie should use a pure Linux program or the seasoned users refuse to provide alternate solutions to software and hardware issues than those a newbie has already tried because the veterans think any other solution is not the standard way to do it.
My first try of Linux came through Wubi, a program that installs Ubuntu Linux onto a virtual partition (a pretend disc) within a Windows operating system. It made it easy: I didn’t have to play with partitions and worry about screwing-up my Windows installation. That was over four years ago when I lived in Holland and didn’t know enough Dutch to follow my Dutch version of Windows so the chance to use something in English was not an opportunity I was about to pass-up.
Now there are Live Discs which enable the adventurous to use or try Linux without even installing it to a hard disk so it’s even easier to use it and it doesn’t cost anything because it’s free.
In all honesty, Windows and Linux are as easy to use as one’n'other. Both have their good and bad points.
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What drivel
Not all Linux users behave in that manner. but hey, as long as you can generate friction and draw attention to yet another article about the 'dreaded' Linux community.
Big Bear
Sometimes it is the opposite
Sometimes newcomers to Linux are rude to the people trying to help them.
re: Mean
Most people are not Special Ed teachers (people who are used to repeating the same info and/or steps time after time after time after time after time after time).
Therefore, sooner or later, even the most generous person starts to get aggravated that the noobs consider the teachers time waaaaaaaaaaaay less valuable then their own.
RTFM wasn't invented out of meanness, but as some small hope that noobs would actually invest some of their own time in learning something that is in theory, important to them.
If a noob expects me to invest my time in helping them, they have to show me they're willing to actually help themselves learn - if not, then fob off noob, you're not worth the effort (TANSTAAFL).
New users are just as guilty...
First off, visit a Windows help forum and see how rude those "experts" can be...
Second, not all Linux users act that way. Over at PCLinuxOS, they go out of their way to help new users.
Third,and most importantly, new users often just don't "get it". They come in to forums and the first thing they spout off is that Linux sucks, or why can't Linux be more like Windows, or whatever. And they're asking people who volunteer their expertise to help them? Right...
rudeness
I continue to use both Win5.3(XP) (tested Vista6.3=Win7 but discontinued) and test/use several Linux Distributions in Dual or Multi Boot. It's a win/win (what's in a word!) situation. I solve people's problems in both territories.
I meet rudeness everywhere. It's like admin's are getting tired, frustrated, or so? Win-ners shouting at Linux-ers, and vice-versa, and there is no need to shout at eachother. The inhabitants of both territories have their needs, exspectations and suppositions.
In the Win-territory, everything has to do with making money, every ten dollar spent for Win makes 60 dollars for software and hardware suppliers.
In the Lin-territory, brains supercede money, a gigantic community tries to intellectually transcend the material world. But that does not free them from hubris or frustration: they still are human.
I try to be nice to inhabitants of both territories. And instructive. I recently run away from forums because of all the agressiveness of both sides. The Win-ners have "7" and the Linux-ers have "it", be it a Koala or other names. "7" is the best-paid service pack ever, and "it" comes with GRUB2rc, a pain in the ass for many to come. It won't get better, I'm sure.
But please look, in both territories, at the good men that still exist and do survice!
A note from the author
Firstly, I want to thank Srlinuxx for rebloging my article: thank you.
Secondly, I'd like clear up a few things:
Of the people who've commented here so far, I suspect not all have read the full article. I'd like those who haven't to know that I almost exclusively use Linux; specifically, Karmic Koala 64bit. I like Linux. It has many advantages over Windows but most people will never see them because they're not required for most users' purposes. And therein lay two words that have also been misunderstood by at least one commenter and perhaps, therefore, several readers: "most" and "many". At no point in the article have I stated that most Linux users are rude to newbies; I did, however, say many Linux users are rude to newbies.
I understand that that rudeness generally (not always) stems from frustration at the repetitive nature of support work. Remember though, this is the Internet; it has a special feature: URL (URI to the purists). Every page has a URL, if someone can't be bothered to fully and politely answer a support question then he or she could easily post a link to a one-I-made-earlier answer.
I worked in IT support for many years dealing predominantly with Windows machines so I'm fully aware of the rudeness that occurs within the Windows community between those who know, pretend to know and plain don't know how to fix Windows' problems. But Windows isn't trying to get its foot in the door of most people's homes: it's already there; it's provided as a standard product of most OEMs. Most people treat Linux as they do Jehovah's Witnesses: they don't open the door when they see it coming and when they do do they try to close it again, as quickly as possible.
If Linux is to open the door into ordinary people's homes then it must put on a friendlier face - a bigger smile. It must also start speaking the language of the person who opens the door - it's useless to tell someone how to install software unless they understand what is being said; and the Terminal method is next to useless for those who are used to graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and File Managers. Linux has a fantastic GUI. What's the point of all the GUIs aesthetics and evolved usability when it's not being shown off and used by those who offer support to non-speakers of Linux. It's perfectly fine to say open up Terminal, type in these commands, close Terminal. But it's absolutely useless for teaching newbies to solve future problems by themselves. There's too much showing off of the Terminal and not enough of the GUI. It invites the question of how many of those who offer support actually understand the support they provide.
I understand that Linux distros use various, different directory structures. I try to explain the GUI method wherever possible when I offer support to others (not always successfully). I know how difficult the various directory structures, and Linux's security features, make it to provide GUI only support; but, as a minimum, we should - as a community - offer explanations for the Terminal commands wherever they are used even when all we offer is a link to the explanation.
Anyway, thank you for reading and commenting on my article.
Dion de Ville.
and yet
You used inflammatory language that you knew was not correct simply to get attention for your Linux oriented story.
I did read the whole post and I think your title and the rest didn't necessarily coincide. so it was obviously done intentionally. And all the majority of people will see is the title and make similar assumptions.
I can't say a whole lot honestly, I used a similar tactic recently, one of being sarcastic, which is what I guess your intention was meant to be.
I need to watch out how what I intend as sarcasm doesn't get taken as serious in the future as well.
Big Bear
More credit than I deserve
The title is intended to be genuine. I knew it would ruffle a few feathers and it has done the article justice: the article has been read a lot of times. Hopefully a few Windows' users will read it and come away feeling that there are friendly (if not vocal) Linux users too. I'll add an addendum to the bottom of the article to reinforce that sentiment.
The article's primary intention is to say to the Linux community that it has to lighten-up and become more inviting to prospects and welcoming to them once they take the leap. I believe that point has been made.