4 ms·

While still using Windows...

by beavis2 8y ago

askmike 8y ago
Can't speak for ux-app but most people on HN are on macs, also a lot of people on linux.
- beavis2 8y ago
  Right. But there's a certain amount of irony that people are ditching Chrome, while still using an OS which literally does spy on you.
  - Djvacto 8y ago
    I tried looking up stuff about windows spying on users, and most of what I'm seeing is useless (debunked articles, generally clickbait stuff). Is there anywhere I could look to read more about this if true?
    - swebs 8y ago
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10#Privacy_and_data_collection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10#Privacy_and_data_co...
      - Djvacto 8y ago
        I see, thanks! I've opted out of everything you can already, and don't use Cortana, so all I'm sending is some basic telemetry data it seems.
        beavis2 8y ago
        And also whatever you type into the start menu.
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
  - taneq 8y ago
    Even Windows 10 seems much less creepy compared with what Google's become.
    - beavis2 8y ago
      The browser is looked upon as the portal to the Internet. When accessing web-sites over a public network, I sort of expect (not necessarily like or agree) to be tracked and others to know what I'm doing. I'm always in the mindset of "what ever I do within this window, others will see" (regardless of browser). For what I do on my local desktop? No. Not at all.
  - eutropia 8y ago
    It took me several days to root out all of the programs and services in my enterprise windows 10 install which were spying on me or attempting to install software without my consent, had to prevent cortana from running, block windows servers with hosts file, delete scheduled tasks, adjust group policy, disable updates, and firewall my own computer. All this so that I could have an OS that isn't actively spying on me, and play games on it. Thank goodness valve is making progress on linux...
- hhmc 8y ago
  Do you have any data to back this claim up? I would be surprised if the majority of visitors to HN were using mac.
  - askmike 8y ago
    No direct data. But that's the impression I have gotten over the years. I've seen a ton of posts at the frontpage that talk about moving away from Apple for whatever reason, which are always heated debates. I've never seen any post of people jumping from Windows to mac or linux (I believe that's not a situation a lot of people on HN are in). it might be my filter bubble, but if I google "hacker news mac vs windows" the only results I get are posts where people are moving away from Mac to something else[1]. [1]: https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/969743/46010063-fa13fd00-c0f3-11e8-866a-d170d8d3c64b.png https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/969743/46010063-fa... (that's just the top of the page, but the whole first page is like that).
    - beavis2 8y ago
      > talk about moving away It's just that. All talk. Including the usual empty threats of "don't piss of the technical people". Meanwhile, they're still logging into Facebook using Chrome on their Windows machines.
      - askmike 8y ago
        I also believe most of these topics are just talk. But the point I was making is that whenever someone talks about "I'm leaving Mac for whatever reason" it blows up and everyone and their mom weighs in to give their opinion. It's not uncommon to have these on the frontpage. Why? Because most people use Mac so they have something to say. However when someone says "I am moving away from windows because of X" it never hits the frontpage since most people don't care since they are not on windows. This is obviously not great quantitative research. But if I go into any co working space or coffee shop where people work on their laptops. I find a lot of people on macs, and all the technical ones are on HN. Whenever I meet technical people with a windows laptop they are never on HN. I thought this was quite well established that HN is very apple'y, so I'm having a hard to come up with proper data to back this up. What about you? You think the opposite?
- AsyncAwait 8y ago
  I assume this is based on a lot of (web/mobile) devs being on HN and them using macOS predominantly based on conferences etc.? I'd agree with that assessment, macOS probably first, Linux second, but then you have to remember how many Windows users there are. The HN regulars are probably mostly on Mac/Linux, but I'd imagine just the drive by Windows traffic would put it at the top spot.
  - AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y ago
    There are plenty of Windows users on HN actively. Not everybody in tech is an SV webdev.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- vezycash 8y ago
  I visited HN for years before registering and making my first comment. Those who leave comments are a small fraction of the total HN traffic. If you saw the a recent thread which asked people why they stalk HN, you'd understand that many visitors aren't start up guys, programmers or even technical in nature. In other words, I bet HN's actual traffic log will show mobile devices and Windows as the predominant OS.
- taneq 8y ago
  Is there some actual data on this somewhere? I'd be curious to know the browser / OS breakdown.

While still using Windows...

askmike 8y ago

Can't speak for ux-app but most people on HN are on macs, also a lot of people on linux.

beavis2 8y ago
Right. But there's a certain amount of irony that people are ditching Chrome, while still using an OS which literally does spy on you.
- Djvacto 8y ago
  I tried looking up stuff about windows spying on users, and most of what I'm seeing is useless (debunked articles, generally clickbait stuff). Is there anywhere I could look to read more about this if true?
  - swebs 8y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10#Privacy_and_data_collection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10#Privacy_and_data_co...
    - Djvacto 8y ago
      I see, thanks! I've opted out of everything you can already, and don't use Cortana, so all I'm sending is some basic telemetry data it seems.
      - beavis2 8y ago
        And also whatever you type into the start menu.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
- taneq 8y ago
  Even Windows 10 seems much less creepy compared with what Google's become.
  - beavis2 8y ago
    The browser is looked upon as the portal to the Internet. When accessing web-sites over a public network, I sort of expect (not necessarily like or agree) to be tracked and others to know what I'm doing. I'm always in the mindset of "what ever I do within this window, others will see" (regardless of browser). For what I do on my local desktop? No. Not at all.
- eutropia 8y ago
  It took me several days to root out all of the programs and services in my enterprise windows 10 install which were spying on me or attempting to install software without my consent, had to prevent cortana from running, block windows servers with hosts file, delete scheduled tasks, adjust group policy, disable updates, and firewall my own computer. All this so that I could have an OS that isn't actively spying on me, and play games on it. Thank goodness valve is making progress on linux...
hhmc 8y ago
Do you have any data to back this claim up? I would be surprised if the majority of visitors to HN were using mac.
- askmike 8y ago
  No direct data. But that's the impression I have gotten over the years. I've seen a ton of posts at the frontpage that talk about moving away from Apple for whatever reason, which are always heated debates. I've never seen any post of people jumping from Windows to mac or linux (I believe that's not a situation a lot of people on HN are in). it might be my filter bubble, but if I google "hacker news mac vs windows" the only results I get are posts where people are moving away from Mac to something else[1]. [1]: https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/969743/46010063-fa13fd00-c0f3-11e8-866a-d170d8d3c64b.png https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/969743/46010063-fa... (that's just the top of the page, but the whole first page is like that).
  - beavis2 8y ago
    > talk about moving away It's just that. All talk. Including the usual empty threats of "don't piss of the technical people". Meanwhile, they're still logging into Facebook using Chrome on their Windows machines.
    - askmike 8y ago
      I also believe most of these topics are just talk. But the point I was making is that whenever someone talks about "I'm leaving Mac for whatever reason" it blows up and everyone and their mom weighs in to give their opinion. It's not uncommon to have these on the frontpage. Why? Because most people use Mac so they have something to say. However when someone says "I am moving away from windows because of X" it never hits the frontpage since most people don't care since they are not on windows. This is obviously not great quantitative research. But if I go into any co working space or coffee shop where people work on their laptops. I find a lot of people on macs, and all the technical ones are on HN. Whenever I meet technical people with a windows laptop they are never on HN. I thought this was quite well established that HN is very apple'y, so I'm having a hard to come up with proper data to back this up. What about you? You think the opposite?
AsyncAwait 8y ago
I assume this is based on a lot of (web/mobile) devs being on HN and them using macOS predominantly based on conferences etc.? I'd agree with that assessment, macOS probably first, Linux second, but then you have to remember how many Windows users there are. The HN regulars are probably mostly on Mac/Linux, but I'd imagine just the drive by Windows traffic would put it at the top spot.
- AnIdiotOnTheNet 8y ago
  There are plenty of Windows users on HN actively. Not everybody in tech is an SV webdev.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
vezycash 8y ago
I visited HN for years before registering and making my first comment. Those who leave comments are a small fraction of the total HN traffic. If you saw the a recent thread which asked people why they stalk HN, you'd understand that many visitors aren't start up guys, programmers or even technical in nature. In other words, I bet HN's actual traffic log will show mobile devices and Windows as the predominant OS.
taneq 8y ago
Is there some actual data on this somewhere? I'd be curious to know the browser / OS breakdown.