Jay Baker (he/they)

Because those issues wouldn’t exist on a simple Linux distribution. That was my point. Wait, did I stumble upon a pro-digital capitalism, pro-Micro$oft, pro-Windows Reddit by accident? Because this place seems flooded with the defenders of all things evil. jfc.

That’s really mean.

Oh, trust me, it’s the fault of Windows. It’s garbage. Linux all the way.

I too have taught tech, to a lot of older people, and with substantial success. And I try to emphasise that “there are no stupid questions” - and that their concerns must be listened to, and understood.

It can be very disheartening to hear these very valid concerns just because they’re using an overpriced piece of unethical garbage spyware as an operating system. All of these questions can also be answered with “Use Linux instead.” Indeed, a colleague of mine literally emphasises that the only reason she retains access to Windows at all is because our learners are using it still (and she plans to use Linux 100% of the time upon retirement).

Because telling such users that “Windows handles it” with Defender or whatever often doesn’t cut it when they’ve been sold antivirus all their lives and have family and friends tell them they must spend (even more unnecessary) money on “top-notch” anti-virus software. I’d rather say “Linux handles it” than “Let Micro$oft handle it.”

Telling them all programmes will make it clear when an update is available is much more daunting for them when they barely trust and/or understand a lot of notifications they get anyway, when they could literally be using a Linux software centre that resembles what they use on their smartphones.

Simply informing them that - rather than said software centre - they need to go to the website for the programme to download an exe file, is unhelpful when they do a search for a programme to use and get different search results.

I wish it took them 3 seconds to disable disgusting ads in their taskbar that they never asked for on their operating system and lends nothing to their user experience, but sadly it takes them much longer, assuming they do of course remember how to do it since last time, seeing as this trash seems to reappear.

Telling them which browser to use without first explaining browsers and enabling them to make informed decisions is, in my view, morally questionable. And yet speaking of which, Micro$oft apps frequently do just that.

And what else I’ve realised? If we teach so that people can make informed decisions, with patience, in plain language, Linux will have a larger user base.

Because people, at their core, are good. Digital capitalism doesn’t sit well with people. They distrust these big data-gathering, closed-source, greedy corporations.

“How about I pay with my blood?” Actually, sshh, don’t give them ideas!

Oh, totally. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve helped folks with their computers and most of their problems seem to be from using Windows: “I’m confused about antivirus,” “I keep forgetting to check on updates for the program I use so much,” “I’m unsure if I’m on the correct site to download an exe file from,” “I keep getting ads in my taskbar,” “I was going to find a different browser to use but my computer dissuaded me from doing so,” and on and on, and I just think “If only you’d simply try Linux.”

Sigh. This is where I have to mention Brendan Eich yet again.

Yes. Yes, it has.

It started off well enough, but then it began talking about “left-wing propaganda” being promoted by Microsoft - an inherently right-wing capitalist corporation - and instantly lost all credibility. I expected it to degenerate into Covid denialism and tinfoil hat-wearing antisemitic conspiracy theories and tropes. Hardly a way to win over “normies” by sounding like an absolute freak in the first place.

Edit: Just checked and to be fair, the entire instance describes itself as “content on liberating your electronics from the tyranny of left wing Big Tech surveillance.” God that’s some mental gymnastics right there: left-wing capitalism. Please read a book.

I had no idea, so I’m glad this was posted - thanks!

I’m wondering, since I also have a kbin account, how effectively can I follow all the subscriptions I’ve had on Lemmy.ml?

I use Liftoff as my main app currently, and I assume I am probably yet to fully use its capabilities since I’m not always getting some of my subscriptions coming up, especially the kbin ones I found there and subscribed to from my Lemmy account.

There you go: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mozilla-ceo-brendan-eich-to-step-down-1396554132

And their CEO is a bigot.

The Putin Regime is diabolical, of course. And divestments and boycotts helped bring down South Africa apartheid, so such actions they have their place. But I think what bothers a lot of people is the double standards of corporations doing business with, say, the likes of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia who trample over human rights and whose brutality has created the worst humanitarian crisis in Yemen. It’s definitely worth debating the targeting and effectiveness (and consistency, or lack thereof) in such pulling of services.