The REAL Reason We Use Linux

Vlad Dolezal writes "We tell people we use Linux because it's secure. Or because it's free, because it's customizable, because it has excellent community support... But all of that is just marketing BS. We tell that to non-Linux users because they wouldn't understand the REAL reason." The answer to his question probably won't surprise you.

The answer won't surprise anyone!

[7-Vodka]

Here it is in all it's glory:

The REAL reason we use Linux

[thewiz]

Penguins?

Re:The answer won't surprise anyone!

[squarefish]

Re:The REAL reason we use Linux

[dattaway]

I never needed a reason to use Linux, but its hard to argue with penguins!

Command line???

[www.sorehands.com]

Most people can't even spell command line. While I was in China, I was fixing a friend's computer and her boyfriend said, "You must be a computer expert, you are using a dos window." He didn't even say DOS in upper case.

You know you are a real programmer when you speak in UPPER CASE. http://www.sorehands.com/humor/real1.htm [sorehands.com]

In related news

[K. S. Kyosuke]

Girls keep telling Linux users that they (Linux users) are nice, caring and entertaining, but that they (girls) have no free time at the moment. But all of that is just a marketing BS told to Linux users because they wouldn't understand the REAL reason for girls using non-Linux users.

Re:I know why I use it

[K. S. Kyosuke]

There is a missing link list [wikipedia.org] on Wikipedia, if you are in a dire need of these. But mind you, is is incomplete. For example, there is no mention of Steve Ballmer, which is the missing link between modern human and Homo Executivus Developerensis.

Re:The REAL reason we use Linux

[Jesus_666]

It's really easy to argue with penguins, actually. Just take an anti-herring stance.

Re:And this is why Linux is still laughed at...

[Hatta]

I'm sure/I hope if I'm missing something it will be pointed out, but personally I did not find Ubuntu that easy to use.

Whenever someone invents an idiot-proof system, someone invents a better idiot.

Re:In related news

[Ethanol-fueled]

I accepted your challenge and went down the the local Starbuck's twice today: One with my Linux laptop(with a penguin sticker on it), and once with my Mac laptop. When I was there with my Linux laptop, I was hit on by all kinds of women saying, " aww, how cute, it's got a penguin on it. Then I fired up compiz and received plenty of ooohs and ahhhhs from the crowd. I returned a couple hours later with my Mac laptop and I was hit on...by scores of well-dressed, effeminate men. Being a heterosexual male, I promptly sold my Mac laptop and stuck with the angular, responsive laptop with a sense of humor.

In yo face!

Re:'All powerful' root?

[goodenoughnickname]

>> "Oh, and the penguin is more cuddly than some flag or some annoying animated critter ;)"

Yeah right. I just put my baby in her crib with a big, cuddly paperclip. There's no noise coming out of the baby monitor, so I can only assume she's fast asleep.

Re:'All powerful' root?

[WhiteWolf]

It looks like you're trying to murder your child! Can I help you:

* Make it look like a SIDS incident?

* Spoof a ransom note?

* File for insurance claims?

Damn paper-clip is EVIL, man. PURE FSCKING EVIL!

Re:Well

[Anonymous Coward]

I can tell you the real reason why I DON'T use Linux: Because i'm perfectly happy being stupid with Windows being filled with spyware. Well, of course not *perfectly*, but almost. And yes, it's a locked platform, it cost, it's not free, etc. But i don't care, i also payed for whatever the television told me to buy... And ideology? I don't care for idealistic ideologies and I hate grammar even more. I'm a happy Windows luser, yes, and proud of it even though i know i shouldn't breed. Now go get me a beer bitch and turn on jerry springer. I am done wit teh intarweb for a while

There, fixed the typos for you.

Why was this modded troll?

[StarKruzr]

Parent was obviously an anecdotal discussion of computing environments and what worked for him. It was on-topic, interesting and mildly amusing.

In short, wtf?

For the record, I've also started running Linux as my primary desktop OS. I have a Linux desktop, Linux server, and Mac laptop that also runs Vista. I get all my work done just fine.

Re:It would be good...

[gobbo]

If the phone calls in the middle of the night, it won't be one of my brothers having trouble installing a new sound card anymore. It'll be something that does actually matter in the middle of the night!

Lucky you. I get phone calls late at night from my little brother to get help with troubleshooting ALSA and codecs and obscure SiS driver problems with different linux distros. Cheap brat should just buy a decent used machine for a change instead of dumpster diving for hardware. I sometimes regret turning him on to OSS.

And I still get calls from windows users, because I "know computers."

Re:It would be good...

[Mad Merlin]

Windows may not be easy to use, but when you use it, it's only slightly more painful than removing one's own limbs with a rusty spoon... on a good day. Playing a game, for example. Windows, you put disc in, installer runs, you click "next" until your face goes blue, installer tells you that you're missing some other software package that it needs and demands that you install it (of course it can't do this itself) so recursively repeat this process a few times, once you've got everything the installer wants, you click "next" until your face goes blue again, you wait for a really long time while a few files copy, you put the next disc in, you wait for another really long time, you put the next disc in... assuming the installer eventually finishes you now need to check to see if there's any patches for your game (which there probably is) and then find, download, and install those separately, then you need to find the game in the start menu (which for some reason is organized by company name, not by program function), then if you haven't lost interest yet, you play game. Of course, if it's Vista, the game probably won't work anyways. Linux... well, if it's a native game, you install the game with your package manager, then you play it. If you're trying to play a windows game in Wine, you check the AppDB [winehq.org] first, and if the rating is good, the experience will probably be better than it would be in Vista.

There, fixed that for you.

Re:It would be good...

[Zadaz]

If it was that fun, wouldn't more people be using it?

Re:It would be good...

[abell]

I get phone calls late at night from my little brother to get help with troubleshooting ALSA [...] I sometimes regret turning him on to OSS.

If you turned him on to OSS, how come he's using Alsa now?

forever

[genican1]

I use Linux because I heard that it's the only platform thet Duke Nukem Forever will run on!

Re:My favorite explanation ...

[jc42]

"Interesting"???? Jeez; whaddaya gotta do to get a "funny" around here?