Where does this come from? What made you think the GP thinks that Obama is any better than any of the other assholes that recently doubled as president of the US?
Your roommate has access to military hardware and military training in counter intelligence? Damn, those protesters really are better organized than I gave them credit!
It's changing. Windows is a household name, yes, but it becomes more and more something that people despise for two reasons. First, for a real one, because they get to hear time and again "bad news" about it. Privacy? Shady business tactics? Nah. Malware. Crypto trojans. And it does only happen to Windows users. No Linux user reports any problems, no MacOS has ever been affected. Yes, technically they could if those OSs had any market share interesting to the crypters, but... folks, why shouldn't we use their ignorance for good for a change?
And second also a less real one, because they get to see that everyone who knows a thing or two about computers considers it bad. And whether they want to admit it or not, people do give something about the opinion of "experts". They don't like to be seen as suckers who use something that people who know a thing about the matter dump.
Most of them move towards MacOS. But there are also people who are starting to take a look at Linux. And that's where we are called to act. If one of your friends starts to express an interest in Linux, show them. Make sure you have a Window manager installed that resembles Windows. Show them a browser, mail, office, i.e. all the things that are simply identical to what they are used to. Make sure to stress that it's free, and legally so.
And be prepared to hold their hands for the next couple of weeks.
So? What matters is that it makes using Wine much easier and user friendly.
This is exactly the only problem Linux still has that keeps it from breaking out into the world: You still need to know a thing or two about the machine you're using. Yes, that should be a good thing. Actually, it should be a requirement. Sadly, most people neither do know a thing or two about the machines they're using, they also do not want to learn. And there is unfortunately an OS that supports their laziness.
And just as people choose dancing pigs over security, they also choose laziness over privacy.
About 10 years I'd have agreed with you. But today? Aside of your gaming argument, this isn't the case anymore. Installation of tools and drivers is actually easier in Linux today than it is in Windows because way more tools are part of the whole distribution package. There are very few tools and programs I had to install manually lately, and I tend to use rather exotic tools due to my job.
Your argument about games is (still) valid, though even there you can see improvement. With more and more games using standard platforms like Unity or Unreal Engine which come prepared to compile your programs in Windows/Linux/MacOS without any major code changes, games running natively in Linux becomes at least a reality in Non-AAA games with their own engines.
I want to. Really, I do. For about half the tools I use there's replacements in Linux. Nearly everything else works great in a locked away Windows VM.
And now please solve the last bastion that Windows has: Games.
Games are, odd as it may sound, tricky. Hard, if possible at all, to run in a VM, many don't work well in Wine and very few (at least outside the Indie circuit) run natively on Linux.
Actually, it meant saving up for months and deciding not to get something else I wanted for myself... but hey, parents are different all over the world...
Another market that goes to the Chinese. I bet Alibaba and Aliexpress are already rubbing their hands and I'd be very surprised if there weren't already vendors there that sell everything you might want to get.
You (hopefully) jest, but I fully expect this to happen when the first gender studies majors get their diploma and find out that the only jobs they get offered require them to say "you want fries with that?".
Excuse me, but how is it the university's business what you major in? Especially in the US. In Europe, where most (older) universities are actually state-owned I can see to some degree how they would have an interest to focus on courses that will create a useful workforce, since that way they have to deal with fewer unemployed and have a higher tax turnout, but where is a for-profit university's incentive that you will get a job? Their incentive is that you study there and get your degree there, preferably after as many paid for semesters they can squeeze out of you.
Yes, they don't give a fuck what you major in as long as you pay tuition. Welcome to the free market where you have the free choice. Even the choice to make a bad choice.
Slashdot Mirror
Yes, how could we educated nobles leave half the planet to the unwashed masses?
You say that like it would be a bad thing? It's not like this planet really needs more people littering it.
Not everywhere, no.
But I somehow wouldn't really want to eat the snow within a mile of a pipeline...
Where does this come from? What made you think the GP thinks that Obama is any better than any of the other assholes that recently doubled as president of the US?
Do it to your average political party assembly.
See whether it's considered illegal.
Because laws are made by people. If those people are assholes, upholding those laws support a bad cause.
For reference, see Germany 1934-1945.
Legal means nothing. It's legal in North Korea to be locked up for saying li'l Kim is an idiot.
That works for any ideology that's entrenched in its dogma and impervious to logic and reason.
Your roommate has access to military hardware and military training in counter intelligence? Damn, those protesters really are better organized than I gave them credit!
Could I just kill? I have a rather selective stomach.
Ahhh, thank you, i've been waiting for you. Thanks for not disappointing.
Allow me to put it in words you might understand: It's none of your fucking business how I spend my rare spare time, so fuck off.
Are you really that dense or are you trying to argue for argument's sake?
Ok, so I didn't miss much, or at least anything important.
It's changing. Windows is a household name, yes, but it becomes more and more something that people despise for two reasons. First, for a real one, because they get to hear time and again "bad news" about it. Privacy? Shady business tactics? Nah. Malware. Crypto trojans. And it does only happen to Windows users. No Linux user reports any problems, no MacOS has ever been affected. Yes, technically they could if those OSs had any market share interesting to the crypters, but ... folks, why shouldn't we use their ignorance for good for a change?
And second also a less real one, because they get to see that everyone who knows a thing or two about computers considers it bad. And whether they want to admit it or not, people do give something about the opinion of "experts". They don't like to be seen as suckers who use something that people who know a thing about the matter dump.
Most of them move towards MacOS. But there are also people who are starting to take a look at Linux. And that's where we are called to act. If one of your friends starts to express an interest in Linux, show them. Make sure you have a Window manager installed that resembles Windows. Show them a browser, mail, office, i.e. all the things that are simply identical to what they are used to. Make sure to stress that it's free, and legally so.
And be prepared to hold their hands for the next couple of weeks.
So? What matters is that it makes using Wine much easier and user friendly.
This is exactly the only problem Linux still has that keeps it from breaking out into the world: You still need to know a thing or two about the machine you're using. Yes, that should be a good thing. Actually, it should be a requirement. Sadly, most people neither do know a thing or two about the machines they're using, they also do not want to learn. And there is unfortunately an OS that supports their laziness.
And just as people choose dancing pigs over security, they also choose laziness over privacy.
About 10 years I'd have agreed with you. But today? Aside of your gaming argument, this isn't the case anymore. Installation of tools and drivers is actually easier in Linux today than it is in Windows because way more tools are part of the whole distribution package. There are very few tools and programs I had to install manually lately, and I tend to use rather exotic tools due to my job.
Your argument about games is (still) valid, though even there you can see improvement. With more and more games using standard platforms like Unity or Unreal Engine which come prepared to compile your programs in Windows/Linux/MacOS without any major code changes, games running natively in Linux becomes at least a reality in Non-AAA games with their own engines.
I want to. Really, I do. For about half the tools I use there's replacements in Linux. Nearly everything else works great in a locked away Windows VM.
And now please solve the last bastion that Windows has: Games.
Games are, odd as it may sound, tricky. Hard, if possible at all, to run in a VM, many don't work well in Wine and very few (at least outside the Indie circuit) run natively on Linux.
That works if you don't need Windows for pretty much the only thing that people need it anymore and can't replace it with Linux: Playing games.
Or you could direct your anger at those that actually eliminated your jobs... but hey, why go for harder to hit targets?
Actually, it meant saving up for months and deciding not to get something else I wanted for myself... but hey, parents are different all over the world...
Now that's been going south really fast.
Another market that goes to the Chinese. I bet Alibaba and Aliexpress are already rubbing their hands and I'd be very surprised if there weren't already vendors there that sell everything you might want to get.
MAGA, my ass!
I blame the players that complain about the disappearing chairs instead of trying to get one of the ones that are left.
You (hopefully) jest, but I fully expect this to happen when the first gender studies majors get their diploma and find out that the only jobs they get offered require them to say "you want fries with that?".
Excuse me, but how is it the university's business what you major in? Especially in the US. In Europe, where most (older) universities are actually state-owned I can see to some degree how they would have an interest to focus on courses that will create a useful workforce, since that way they have to deal with fewer unemployed and have a higher tax turnout, but where is a for-profit university's incentive that you will get a job? Their incentive is that you study there and get your degree there, preferably after as many paid for semesters they can squeeze out of you.
Yes, they don't give a fuck what you major in as long as you pay tuition. Welcome to the free market where you have the free choice. Even the choice to make a bad choice.