Linux needs to grow. Stop telling people it’s ‘tech-y’ or acting like you’re more advanced for using it, you are scaring away people. Linux Mint can be used by a senile person perfectly.
Explain shortly the benefits, ‘faster, more secure, easier to use, main choices of professionals and free’. Ask questions that let you know if they need to dual boot, ‘do you use Adobe, anti-cheat games, or Microsoft Office’, ‘how new is your computer’, ‘do you use a Mac’.
And most importantly, offer to help them install.
They don’t understand the concept of distros, just suggest Linux Mint LTS Cinnamon unless they’re curious.
That’s it, spread Linux to as many people as possible. The larger the marketshare, the better support we ALL get. We can fight enshittification. Take the time to spread it but don’t force it on anyone.
AND STOP SCARING PEOPLE AWAY. Linux has no advertising money, it’s up to us.
Offer family members or friends your help or copy and paste the below
how to install linux: 1) copy down your windows product key 2) backup your files to a harddrive 3) install the linux mint cinnamon iso from the linux mint website 4) use etcher (download from its website) to put the iso on a usb flash drive 5) go into bios 6) boot from the usb 7) erase the storage and install 8) press update all in the update manager 9) celebrate. it takes 15 minutes.
edit: LET ME RE-STATE, DO NOT FORCE IT ON ANYONE.
and if someone is at the level of ignorance (not in a derogatory fashion) that they dont know what a file even is genuinely dont bother unless theyre your parents cause youll be tech support for their ‘how do i install the internet’ questions.
yes, I do, but that’s not representative of the majority of the population.
So it’s unacceptable for them to have a computer?
Yes it is unacceptable but less relevant.
I’ve encountered millenials who struggle with the simple concept that you can copy a file and paste it in a different directory. Zoomers my age who don’t know what a file manager is. And more.
Not everyone, not even close to being a majority in fact, is an 80 year old that is completely incapable of learning basic concept. People must know the very basics of how to use their most important and omnipresent tool, such as what is a file explorer, what do we mean by file extensions, what is a file, directories, how to organize them, copy files elsewhere, why do we sometimes need to use admin privileges (and why it’s dangerous), etc.
OP: Stop being elitists!
You: Just watch me!
Wanting people to know the instruments they’re using ≠ elitism
Everyone should be able to use Linux but that ain’t happening if you don’t teach them the basics of how to use a computer.
Saying it’s unacceptable that someone uses a tool without having interest in knowing the way it works outside of their limited usage fucking is elitism though!
I sure hope you know how to change the transmission in your car or have the tools to replace the bottom bracket on your bike or that you know how to replace an intake valve on your washing machine because it’s unacceptable for your to own these things and used them if you don’t! Heck, you must live somewhere, do you know how to build a house and maintain everything that can go wrong with one?
I’m not saying people should understand the inner workings. I’m saying they should understand how to use it or at least want to learn. I’m talking copy-pasting files, navigating folders, reading instructions, that sort of stuff. Read my comments before assuming my argument.
In your analogy it would be knowing how to use the steering wheel and the brakes and the basic rules of how to drive, and I sure as shit hope you know how to use them before you’re allowed into the streets in your car.
It’s like giving a book to a person who doesn’t know how to read and refuses to learn how to read. They don’t want to read, then they probably shouldn’t have a book. They need the book for whatever reason? Then they must be taught how to read.
But they know how to use it in accordance with their needs, you’re just mad that they don’t use it to do the shit that you feel is adequate, that’s elitist as fuck.
Until they have to ask me or tech support how to run something as administrator when they need to do something different for whatever reason. I worked with people in a lab, we do research on a lot of environmental and biological stuff, we sometimes use some quite advanced software, yet some of these people struggle with the most basic operations and they give up as soon as something isn’t working, with the logic “I can’t understand this so why bother”. I’m talking even the installation (on windows) of new programs. And these people have to use WSL to run terminal commands for software made specifically for Linux, you’d expect them to at least understand a bit of the basics, but nope, it’s seen as normal and/or a funny quirk to be illiterate instead of being trained on how to use a computer, at the end of my time there I managed to convert one to the Linux camp (the others want to switch when they get new computers) and he’s well on his way to become the guy who will have to help someone run a program as admin or some other silly shit, and I hope eventually more of them will become literate, but it shouldn’t have needed me or someone else being there for these people to comprehend computer basics, they should’ve been trained at the job or taught that in school.
There is no reason to not teach these people the very basics. Everyone will need to know what a file is and how to navigate folders at some point, or admin privileges, or some very basic troubleshooting, they should learn that even if maybe they’re only gonna use it twice. It is certainly more useful than knowing what drivers, buses, etc are (yes, this is what they taught us in basic IT class to people not doing IT). Otherwise, if they don’t want to learn that then a computer is likely not the tool for them.
If we want everyone to be able to use Linux or computers in general, we need everyone to learn how to use their tool. Without this you’ll get a billion phone calls for any small problems by people who don’t understand something basic, don’t want to learn or look up how to solve a problem they think is impossibly hard, and eventually these people will get angry and leave in frustration. Linux is very much an operating system that can work for everyone, even a dumbass like myself or my old grandpas and grandmas, but if we want people who use windows/mac to switch to it we first need to teach them the basics. It is then of my opinion that the people who can’t grasp the basics of how to interact with their computer and refuse to learn (this part is important) should use something else instead altogether.