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That was a strange article: skip it and just read the discussion thread here. I downloaded Slackware over a 2400 baud modem, so I was early on the Linux train.

That was a strange article: skip it and just read the discussion thread here. I downloaded Slackware over a 2400 baud modem, so I was early on the Linux train. Now, I occasionally use my System76 laptop. My workhorse is using VPSs with mosh or ssh and tmux. A wonderful Linux experience. Either my M1 MacBook Pro or my very nice and very inexpensive little Lenovo Chromebook suffices to reach various VPSs. Since there is a lot of talk about macOS in this thread, I will add that I would like to get off of the Apple platform, but my digital lifestyle based on my Apple Watch (so I can avoid having to have my iPhone with me when I leave home), supplemented with two sizes of iPad Pros and an iPhone when I need a camera serves me well. I have thought of dropping all of this and going back to just using a small Android phone and a high quality Chromebook (to access those VPSs) - there just seems to be too much “Apple ceremony” in my life.

lproven 4y ago
What was strange about it? I wrote it; I'd genuinely like to know.
- mark_l_watson 4y ago
  Hello Liam, sorry to sound judgmental. I was expecting a short list of recommendations or more positive, to go along with the list of things wrong with current distributions. I enjoyed it up to the point when I realized there wouldn’t be any recommendations. That said, the subtitle “ A reasonable list of the least bad distros” accurately represents what the article is about. Again, I didn’t intend to be insulting, so I apologize for that.
  - lproven 4y ago
    Thank you for the apology. There are already a thousand articles out there with short lists of recommendations. There is absolutely zero point in adding another one. The title (as you said that is all you read) attempted to make it clear. This is a cynical perspective. It is not a list of recommendations. It is the reverse of that. It is a list of what's wrong with them all. It is not a list of least-bad distros either. It is a list of the most popular mainstream distros and tries to summarise, briefly, what is wrong with them. Because all distros have stuff wrong with them. All OSes have stuff wrong with them. There is no value in pointing out what's good; a million fanboys love doing that. What value I hoped to add was pointing out what bad, in a balanced way, by even-handedly saying what's bad with all of the big contenders. The Reg is not primarily an American site. I am not American, and I don't live there, or work for an American company. In my limited understanding of American culture, bare criticism is discouraged. Thus the concept of the "shit sandwich" where the critic attempts to sweeten the deal by wrapping it in praise. I see no real value in this. I did not want to do that. I wanted to say what's wrong with them all, as simple, boiled-down summaries of failings are much rarer and harder to find. This is something which I rather expected might bemuse American readers, but I do not see that as a problem. It's an opportunity for growth for them. :-D I suggest that you read the whole thing, and as a general rule -- not an attack -- I advise not commenting or seeking to comment if you haven't read all of something.

lproven 4y ago

What was strange about it? I wrote it; I'd genuinely like to know.

mark_l_watson 4y ago
Hello Liam, sorry to sound judgmental. I was expecting a short list of recommendations or more positive, to go along with the list of things wrong with current distributions. I enjoyed it up to the point when I realized there wouldn’t be any recommendations. That said, the subtitle “ A reasonable list of the least bad distros” accurately represents what the article is about. Again, I didn’t intend to be insulting, so I apologize for that.
- lproven 4y ago
  Thank you for the apology. There are already a thousand articles out there with short lists of recommendations. There is absolutely zero point in adding another one. The title (as you said that is all you read) attempted to make it clear. This is a cynical perspective. It is not a list of recommendations. It is the reverse of that. It is a list of what's wrong with them all. It is not a list of least-bad distros either. It is a list of the most popular mainstream distros and tries to summarise, briefly, what is wrong with them. Because all distros have stuff wrong with them. All OSes have stuff wrong with them. There is no value in pointing out what's good; a million fanboys love doing that. What value I hoped to add was pointing out what bad, in a balanced way, by even-handedly saying what's bad with all of the big contenders. The Reg is not primarily an American site. I am not American, and I don't live there, or work for an American company. In my limited understanding of American culture, bare criticism is discouraged. Thus the concept of the "shit sandwich" where the critic attempts to sweeten the deal by wrapping it in praise. I see no real value in this. I did not want to do that. I wanted to say what's wrong with them all, as simple, boiled-down summaries of failings are much rarer and harder to find. This is something which I rather expected might bemuse American readers, but I do not see that as a problem. It's an opportunity for growth for them. :-D I suggest that you read the whole thing, and as a general rule -- not an attack -- I advise not commenting or seeking to comment if you haven't read all of something.