"Nah man, you should just install this terminal app and memorize 500 shortcuts to go back one directory"

  • Shinji_Ikari [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    2 years ago

    There's a really big divide between people getting into X and expecting a certain approach and the people who've been using things who understand [simple app] is more like [complicated solution obfuscated by previously used simple app].

    There are people who approach open source help forums with a demanding attitude and little desire to provide context. Its just constant. It wears down people who are providing their time for free out of the goodness of their heart. Eventually, the people rather either help intermediate people who have put the effort in to learn the basics, or just dump a solution knowing that the person asking will complain regardless.

    I really try to help folks who want to learn something new. I absolutely love when people give context and work with you to figure out the problem.

    The big thing about using Linux, is its a huge task for someone who has only ever clicked boxes on install wizards. You go in and you feel like you're in one of those dark caves in Pokemon, you can only see what you can immediately touch. If a perfect GUI solution doesn't exist for this person's need, what can the person helping actually do? They could A: tell them "sorry, no go, guess you'll have to keep using windows". Or B, offer an imperfect but working solution that has extra steps and asks the end user to learn some things.

    I try to be patient because I remember what it felt like not being able to see my metaphorical hand in front of my face. Nothing made sense, all the free form spells you must know to do something seems like a daunting task, because it is. You need to learn a language complete with vocabulary and grammar to use this machine outside the pre-ordained tasks of web browsing and open office.

    But once you put in a little bit of effort to know how to use your computer, other things start coming together.

    The "year of the Linux Desktop" will never come outside of a product like ChromeOS or Android. It won't come because people won't accept that a cumulative project of thousands of unpaid passionate programmers won't match the polish of a literal product.

    Just don't disrespect the people offering you their time, because the people offering their time view it as a genuine interest and not a tech support job to make a frustrated end user happy. Goddamn I love using Linux, I love tech, I love helping folks get into it but the one thing that makes me mad is people coming into a free help forum being like "why no work. fix." and you ask whats wrong and they give you absolutely nothing in return.

    ps: message me with ur linux issues and i'll do my best to give a neat solution, or at least explain what every bit does so you're not going in blind.