Linux users identify with their OS more often than Mac, Windows users

https://www.patreon.com/posts/32226964

by BryanLunduke • 7 years ago

15 10 7 years ago

Porthos9K• 7 years ago

Seems legit. I identify as an OpenBSD user for reasons I suspect are true of many GNU/Linux users: I had to choose OpenBSD for myself, and make a not-exactly-trivial effort to not only get it installed, but learn how to use it effectively and create a comfortable computing environment for myself. Because I've actively chosen to use OpenBSD on my personal equipment, I identify as an OpenBSD user.

I don't identify as a Mac user even though my day job has issued me a Mac for use at work, because there's no personal choice involved other than my choice to work at a company that gives its developers Macs. The OS is just there, and I deal with it in order to do my job and get paid. I don't identify as a Windows user for similar reasons; when I worked at Microsoft shops I used what they gave me and put up with the OS because I had to.

mikece• 7 years ago

I wonder if it would be more accurate to say that linux uses use linux because it comes with a set of beliefs (GNU, free software) that match their own: they see linux as reflecting their own beliefs rather than identifying with linux because of some attribute or experience in using it.

elipsey• 7 years ago

I think it is underappreciated that what you can do with it is contingent on both the license and the values and motives of the devs and maintainers. There are lots of things you can do with linux that you can't do elsewhere because it would break someone's business model.

When I use linux it is mainly because of commodity. Since it's redistributable, I can install _all_ the software I want non-interactivly, without sitting around clicking on eulas and license keys and that kind of crap.

This decouples your software environment from your hardware. You can pull the disk and put it in another machine if you feel like it. You can untar a backup into ~/ in a new installation, install all the software you use with a one-liner, and you're good to go in a few minutes like nothing ever happened.

I buy laptops two at time. If this one gets stolen today, I'll get the other one out of the closet, and I'll be back to where I started in the time it takes to drink a couple of coffees.

I can't stand the idea of my productivity depending on a specific piece of hardware, cloud-login credentials, license keys or whatever.

dublin• 7 years ago

Yeah, they're a bit like vegans that way - as the old joke goes, "Q: How do you tell if someone is a vegan? A: You don't have to tell, they'll tell you."

josteink• 7 years ago

Sounds reasonable.

Linux let’s users shape their environment exactly to their wishes.

Obviously then “their Linux” is something they identify with much more, because they partly built that setup themselves, for their own, personal needs only.

And because you can do that, you will also attract the kind of people who would like to do that, further amplifying the effect.

As a personal anecdote, for me, this is really the main reason I prefer Linux.

8bitsrule• 7 years ago

That seems accurate. The advent of the 'personal computer' allowed many to get away from the (often necessary) restrictions (including expenses) imposed by the use of mainframes. The result was freedom to program and experiment with hardware and software. Proprietary systems (Windows, Mac) once again built in restrictions and limitations for various reasons.

Linux doesn't. Its many distros are the response to widely different usage needs, ranging the gamut from turnkey to roll-your-own (Arch, Linux-from-Scratch). If you don't like some feature of a program, you can modify and re-compile the source code.

The software repositories contain programs offering a few to dozens of different ways for users to accomplish their goals. Many users are drawn to understand the details of computing, and to experience the power that confers, as opposed to simply operating an appliance.

In short, many Linux users are the same sort of people who made 'personal computing' possible in the first place.

sigmaprimus• 7 years ago

This seems to be more of an ego thing to me, personally I don't really identify with operating systems but do have a strong preference to supporting opensource vs proprietary software and hardware.

So I suppose that would make me a linux zealot to some degree, but not to the amount of some people that feel the need to point out they use linux as if that means they are somehow better than the common M$ or IOS user.

A similar attitude was also prevalent back in the 90s when artists and musicians all thought apple systems were much better for creative people and were willing to pay a premium for that hardware.

pgcj_poster• 7 years ago

If this data comes from Lunduke's audience, then it's probably not very representative of computer users in general, since people who listen to podcasts about GNU/Linux are going to be particularly likely to identify with it relative to all GNU/Linux users.

Nevertheless, this finding still seems obviously true, and the reasons are numerous and obvious:

- GNU/Linux users are most likely to know what an operating system is, which one they use, and how it's different from their brand of computer.

- They're more likely to have chosen and installed their OS themselves.

- They're more likely to have invested time into getting their system and making it work.

- They're more likely to have an ideological reason for using their OS.

- They're more likely to see their OS as differentiating them from the majority, since there are fewer of them.

- They're more likely to know about and be affected differences between operating systems.

mindfulhack• 7 years ago

I only identify with macOS in the same way that I prefer one presidential candidate over another. I don't feel like I have much choice in the matter.

But with Linux, I absolutely identify as a proud Linux user. I chose it.

ryukafalz• 7 years ago

This is unsurprising to me considering you have to go out of your way to get a machine running Linux; that’s not the case for any of the other OSes mentioned. You won’t find a Linux laptop in a retail store for example, nor are they readily presented to you on Amazon. Various manufacturers will sell them to you if you know to look for them, but that’s a pretty big “if.”

If you care enough to seek out an alternative OS, you probably care more about your OS choice than most.

Linux users identify with their OS more often than Mac, Windows users

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