GNU/Linux: The Name Game
I have been asked several times why I do not refer to Linux as "GNU/Linux," or "the GNU/Linux operating system," or some variation thereof. Most of you are well aware of the controversy around using the term "Linux," but many people who have recently switched or are considering trying Ubuntu, or some other distribution of Linux, are likely confused already, and so this may require a bit of explanation.
Here is my position on it: Though I am familiar with both sides, I do not choose to call Ubuntu (and other distros) "Linux" because I feel the GNU/Linux folks don't have a leg to stand on. I do so because, quite simply, the target audience of my videos are newbies to Linux, or those who have never even tried it before. Linux is by far the most widely used and understood term.
I want to make things easier for them to understand, not more difficult. I feel that I am not doing anything wrong; when I choose to call Microsoft Windows Vista "Vista" I am not doing a disservice to Microsoft. Nor do I do a disservice to Canonical by calling Ubuntu "Ubuntu."
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