Linux

Personally, as a noob myself, I enjoy reading about others' experiece when they switch. No idea why. Just fun to read usually.

I don't mind them any more than I mind a bunch of other dumb posts that people feel compelled to share for reasons I don't understand.

And a lot of them do seem earnest, like they're showing off a macaroni picture they're super proud of.

If my adult roommate came home and showed me a macaroni picture they're super proud of, I probably wouldn't be personally impressed, but I would be happy for them that they've found something they like and are proud of.

Post better content to the community that is more interesting. The problem isn't these posts, it's the lack of other engaging discussions.

I will install Windows and remove it again just to annoy you.

Idk, I try to be there to cheer on people that make the switch and post about it.

I get that the same type of thread several times a week is annoying. However, sometimes I think there is stuff to learn/remember about people switching over now, since there are things I would have long forgotten/gotten used to since initially switching 8-ish years ago, the new user experience is valuable and important to get feedback to help more people transition better.

Not at all. You seem to think there's a more appropriate forum for people to join the Linux community, and introduces. Where is that? And how do new Linux users find it? Knowing nothing about Linux distros, where should they ask about distros? Distrowatch catalogs 274 distributions - how do newbies navigate those?

I do think having a "which distro" stickie or sidebar would be handy, but I don't at all mind the "I ditched Windows" posts. It beats random venting, ranting, and flame wars.

No I don't mind them. I am a linux noob myself and these kinds of posts are what helped me decide to switch.

While we're complaining, you know what I don't like? Completely incomprehensible posts about some super specific subsystem. "fdplq updated to 0.5.pi.007.69!" Wow, that will change my life the next time I boot up my computer to read some Lemmy and play a game for an hour or two.

But they are all part of the linux community. I'm not gonna say the way I use linux is any better or worse than anyone else.

And fortunately, nobody is forcing us to click on those posts we don't care about.

I deleted windows btw, and I'm very happy about it.

Thing is, I don't know what else you'd really post here. Linux is an OS (don't get pedantic with me), there's only so much to talk about other than using it for the first time or getting recommendations on distros/desktop environments/apps/hardware/etc. There's always something going on with Linux, but most of it is specific to one distro/desktop environment so people will probably go to forums for those specific things to discuss them.

Also, yeah he threads are pretty tired for people who have been here even for just a few months, but for the people switching over, it's all brand new. They want to talk about their experience and I can't really blame them. Maybe there should be megathread as suggested elsewhere.

What would you like to see posted? What could give this community more of a direction?

Yeah, I don't mind. Everyone has a survivor story.

Although it is interesting isn't it... That Linux usage is still seen in opposition to the horrors of windows. I mean, few come here talking about adopting in spite of having a great time with windows, or even without mentioning it at all.

I hope that one day it isn't seen as an alternative to but as a thing in its own right.

Maybe they are, but this is the way the medium works - you don't get to control what people post (unless you are mod). Scroll past and move on.

This was a solved problem on other sites via wikis and weekly threads. There's no value in another "what distro should I use?" post. It's great that people want to contribute, but there should be a more centralized resource we can refer people to where people can focus this energy.

As for the Windows threads, they've been a staple of every Linux-focused community for as long as I've been browsing them. I guess if it makes people feel better then I suppose that's enough of a reason to keep them around.

I often do like these posts, because it usually shows their past suffering, and the new freedom they enjoy. It is also an opportunity to share the common community feeling with them.

After all, to me many years ago when I saw Linux booting for the very first time (no GUI, just lots of text from the kernel) that was one thing about Linux that I liked : names of human beings visible. If you look at software by Microsoft or Apple on computer installations you will normally see zero names, it is all very formal.

Social interaction between Linux users, starting with solving Linux questions, has been there for years in forums. I like seeing people help other people and move forward together.

Same with newcomer posts. I think if the posters get redirected to the correct sub

And what sub would you suggest ?

Thanks for putting the TL;DR at the top instead of at the bottom where I'll never see it because I already decided not to read

They all get a downvote from me.

How about we make a dedicated community for "I deleted Windows" posts?

Today I typed in sudo to see if I still felt anything and there were no updates to any repositories. Sometimes you stare into the void long enough to play nethack

It feels like a common and repetitive theme that doesn't bring much discussion to the table. I might be an old grumpy fart, and I probably would've done the same posts back in 1997 when I left Windows NT 4.0 in the rear view mirror.

I'd much prefer to keep the discussion on Linux and not other operating systems. I enjoy AmigaOS and MorphOS as well, but I can't recall anyone every comparing those to Windows on the forums.

This is a Linux community, so of course people will be moving away from other operating systems and installing Linux. I don't see why everyone that does it needs to post about it. It's like the people that make a big deal about leaving a party instead of just leaving.

It's annoying. Maybe there should be a separate "SwitchedToLinux" community for these posts.

As a recent convert, I completely love the idea of "One week of Linux" posts or reserving switch over stories to weekly posts or something. FOSS Fridays?

I find them mildly annoying, but generally tune them out.

The offensive responses, are much worse. Linux users can VERY much be a "boys club" and treat newcomers as lower life forms.

I really like them, along with all the other repetitive types of posts people make. For people who have been using Linux awhile, or have been a part of this community (or any Linux community really) they get a bit old, sure, but each new post is an opportunity for other new Linux users to learn and contribute.

I think sequestering discussion like this into nicely planned neat boxes like sticky threads or weekly discussions is harmful in the long term. While it may keep the posts in this community "clean" I believe it will reduce interest and turn away fresh blood.

I think those of us who have been using Linux awhile should embrace these posts and view them as opportunities to mentor, and as opportunities to continue to stoke the fires of interest in Linux.

I feel the same way. Most of the feedback on your post seems to be from newbies who like it, so maybe we should start a new community for us advanced folks instead of referring everyone to [email protected].

I don't mind them. I like to hear what drove people away from Windows and into Linux' loving embrace. I'm still pretty new myself, so grain of salt I suppose.

Personally, I'm not interested in the type of posts you mention. However, I don't mind it. In general I think it's great to tell the world if you ditch Windows for Linux, because it shows other (Windows) users that they can do it, too.

Though I have to agree that for a dedicated Linux community, it doesn't add too much value. If I think a post is a bad fit for the community, I vote it down.

Not yet. I'm sure I'll get there eventually, but for now I'm enjoying watching people make their own choices for OS.

I don't read them, but it's like advertising to get the Linux train rolling. I'm pretty sure those posts have significantly contributed to a lot of people giving Linux a try.

Yeah. I deleted windows, too.

3+ years ago and I didn't make a post about it.

I don't remember seeing a single one, so they're probably not annoying me.

Exaggerated complaint posts about non problems there are way to many, though.

I've said this sentiment before, but I'll repeat it here.

If you're a pro uber-1337 Gamer, you probably have over 1TiB of storage available. Keeping 64 or even 100GiB of space free for a Windows install isn't really going to break the bank. IMO it's worth keeping a Windows 10 install around just in case you need to use something that only runs on Windows, or some game really doesn't agree with Linux. Nuking a Windows install feels a bit reckless, especially considering the pain of installing it and getting licenses set up.

Part of me worries that these posts are making it seem that deleting your Windows install is some kind of "rite of passage" people have to go through, even though I bet many devout Linux users here still have a Windows install "just in case".

I would like to see a sticky "shill your distro" and/or "guide to recommended distros for a new user" thread. Most people making those threads are usually fine with something like Mint, Ubuntu, Pop or Fedora, and replies sometimes get into technical debate or people shilling their favorite distro (which would be better served in a dedicated thread).

However, we're only a small community here, so most activity is good activity, as long as we don't repeat the exact same posts over and over.

I guess a sticky post titled « ditching windows, looking to find my way on Linux » would help and new posts about doing that should be forbidden in the community rules/redirected to the sticky post 😇

But it’s also important to welcome properly newcomers.

It's a phase. I understand the annoyance, but the community isn't big enough to create a dedicated community for "I deleted windows" posts. It comes down to how many people we have in each camp: actual linux users, newly transitioned users, prospective lurkers. Given how many people came to lemmy for non-linux reasons, I assume that last camp currently outweights the rest.

I don't really mind either way whether these posts are allowed to remain or should be culled.

If you keep them around, they will just keep shitting up the feed. The overall browsing quality of the community goes down, hindering the user experience. I don't think it's uncontroversial to say these posts have next to no value; they're essentially equivalent to birthday notifications or "I voted" stickers. Like... congrats! You and everyone else! Now what? Where's the discussion here?

On the other hand, I do want to think thrice about controlling this with moderation. All too often on Reddit I've see the trope of a sub that appears to be crawling, and you get the idea to join in with an enthusiastic post, only to get removedsmacked by automod because you posted this on the wrong day of the week, or this post type is outright banned because the community is sick of seeing it. It's sensible, yes. But ugh, what a demoralizing filter for newcomers. Overly curated subs/communities are not public forums, they are increasingly impenetrable cliques. That may not necessarily be a bad thing if we think the tradeoff is worth it. But we have to keep in mind what we become when we make that trade.

The one thing I will say willl absolutely not help anything at all is making a designated containment community for this specific kind of post. The whole complaint here is rooted in there being no discussion value for these types of posts. You think a community comprised entirely of those would be a community anyone would want to post in? It'd largely be the Lemmy equivalent of a donotreply@ email address. A dumping ground where unwanted posts go to die. And I don't know about anyone else, but somehow I find being directed to a designated dead-end forum by mods is an even bigger slap to the face than simply having my post removed.

I like them as long as they're describing their experience and/or motivation behind the step.

What I don't like is posts that are simply bashing on Windows (because apparently it's cool?) and praising Linux like it's some sort of silver bullet. Share your negative experiences and describe hoops and workarounds you had to jump through to make Linux work for you. Or describe why it didn't work out for you and why you're back to Windows (and then, dear commenters, don't flame the guy).