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When talking about his unreliable iMac: > When a tool has served me well and needs to be taken care of, I feel I owe it that kindness for all its done for me.

When talking about his unreliable iMac: > When a tool has served me well and needs to be taken care of, I feel I owe it that kindness for all its done for me. and then, when he wants to bash Linux: > A computer is a tool, that’s all. When it ceases to work reliably we have to move on. Why the double standard?

anigbrowl 14y ago
There's a fair bit of research suggesting that we unconsciously value things in proportion to what we pay for them. Since Linux is free, it's a lot easier to be unsentimental about your Linux installation, even if that's not wholly rational (eg it represents a larger investment of time or expertise).
- beatgammit 14y ago
  I don't know, I'm irrationally sentimental about my Linux installation and completely laissez-faire about my Windows box... With Windows, if it gets jacked up, I just re-install, but with Linux, I feel I'm indebted enough to figure out what's wrong and fix it.
geuis 14y ago
You take care of your tools. Over time, even well cared for tools wear out. When that happens, a new tool is needed.
- charonn0 14y ago
  I tend to agree, however the author is not applying this principle to all cases. Hence, a double standard.
belorn 14y ago
I especially like how he took the latest and greatest version of raid tools, compiled it by hand, and was surprised that something broke. He doesn't say it, but could it just possible be that it was a alpha build? a non-long term release? There are reason why debian takes painful months to create releases. They don't just say "ooo, this Friday, lets just pull what ever the git repository has and use that". Windows has also gone down this road. When windows 8 was released, the software was actually a half-year old since beta. if ones is using beta windows 8 and its raid had broken down, would one blame windows or one self?
josteink 14y ago
I reacted to this as well: > Well, as someone who helped found Gentoo Linux, fuck Linux. It’s the absolute best thing for servers, AND NOTHING ELSE. If you’re running Linux on the desktop, you’re a person who would rather fix his computer than use it. He even mentions Windows 8 as a more viable option. WTH? As someone who actually uses Linux on the desktop I have to very much disagree. I install it. It works. Every time. Ofcourse he came from Gentoo Linux which has been rideculed internet-wide time and time again for their incessant need to über-optimize ever single little thing way beyond pointlessness. His error in is generalizing this onto the rest of the Linux-world, and guess what? That's just so extremely wrong and not even close to a normal user these days. I haven't even bothered compiling my own "optimized" kernel the last 5 years. Shocking! I know! This guy is a hardcore Linux geek converted into hardcore Mac-fanboy (polar opposite), sold on the "it just works" idea, because things didn't use to just work in the world of Linux. The transition must have been wonderfully liberating. But now he finds that his newfound hero has abondoned him and that it was not the saviour he had hoped for and he is lost. Had he only known he could return to his roots and find everything he wanted right there.
- sbuk 14y ago
  I going to try my damned not to be rude, but it's hard. For the large part, you've not said anything wrong, in fact I agree with you, other than this; "This guy is a hardcore Linux geek converted into hardcore Mac-fanboy (polar opposite)" Why? Why are using and being a fan of Linux and being an Apple user (or for that matter a Windows user) mutually exclusive? You don't have to buy into the hardcore Stallmanian crap to use it or to enjoy it and even be a fan, hardcore or otherwise. Just as you don't have to succumb to some of Apple's more creepy policies in order to use there laptops etc. I find this attitude in tech particularly irksome. In the past, I have reacted aggressively, which serves nothing other than to get everyones backs up, but I honestly find that quote actually offensive, not to mention deeply myopic and childish. It also irk me that I'm irked by it. The whole community would be better severed by a collective laissez-faire attitude rather than constantly championing their choice or view as the one true path. Like I said at the beginning, I agree and this rant has been bubbling under the surface and I feel better for saying it. Feel free to ignore me.
- 14y ago

anigbrowl 14y ago

There's a fair bit of research suggesting that we unconsciously value things in proportion to what we pay for them. Since Linux is free, it's a lot easier to be unsentimental about your Linux installation, even if that's not wholly rational (eg it represents a larger investment of time or expertise).

beatgammit 14y ago
I don't know, I'm irrationally sentimental about my Linux installation and completely laissez-faire about my Windows box... With Windows, if it gets jacked up, I just re-install, but with Linux, I feel I'm indebted enough to figure out what's wrong and fix it.

geuis 14y ago

You take care of your tools. Over time, even well cared for tools wear out. When that happens, a new tool is needed.

charonn0 14y ago
I tend to agree, however the author is not applying this principle to all cases. Hence, a double standard.

belorn 14y ago

I especially like how he took the latest and greatest version of raid tools, compiled it by hand, and was surprised that something broke. He doesn't say it, but could it just possible be that it was a alpha build? a non-long term release? There are reason why debian takes painful months to create releases. They don't just say "ooo, this Friday, lets just pull what ever the git repository has and use that". Windows has also gone down this road. When windows 8 was released, the software was actually a half-year old since beta. if ones is using beta windows 8 and its raid had broken down, would one blame windows or one self?

josteink 14y ago

I reacted to this as well: > Well, as someone who helped found Gentoo Linux, fuck Linux. It’s the absolute best thing for servers, AND NOTHING ELSE. If you’re running Linux on the desktop, you’re a person who would rather fix his computer than use it. He even mentions Windows 8 as a more viable option. WTH? As someone who actually uses Linux on the desktop I have to very much disagree. I install it. It works. Every time. Ofcourse he came from Gentoo Linux which has been rideculed internet-wide time and time again for their incessant need to über-optimize ever single little thing way beyond pointlessness. His error in is generalizing this onto the rest of the Linux-world, and guess what? That's just so extremely wrong and not even close to a normal user these days. I haven't even bothered compiling my own "optimized" kernel the last 5 years. Shocking! I know! This guy is a hardcore Linux geek converted into hardcore Mac-fanboy (polar opposite), sold on the "it just works" idea, because things didn't use to just work in the world of Linux. The transition must have been wonderfully liberating. But now he finds that his newfound hero has abondoned him and that it was not the saviour he had hoped for and he is lost. Had he only known he could return to his roots and find everything he wanted right there.

sbuk 14y ago
I going to try my damned not to be rude, but it's hard. For the large part, you've not said anything wrong, in fact I agree with you, other than this; "This guy is a hardcore Linux geek converted into hardcore Mac-fanboy (polar opposite)" Why? Why are using and being a fan of Linux and being an Apple user (or for that matter a Windows user) mutually exclusive? You don't have to buy into the hardcore Stallmanian crap to use it or to enjoy it and even be a fan, hardcore or otherwise. Just as you don't have to succumb to some of Apple's more creepy policies in order to use there laptops etc. I find this attitude in tech particularly irksome. In the past, I have reacted aggressively, which serves nothing other than to get everyones backs up, but I honestly find that quote actually offensive, not to mention deeply myopic and childish. It also irk me that I'm irked by it. The whole community would be better severed by a collective laissez-faire attitude rather than constantly championing their choice or view as the one true path. Like I said at the beginning, I agree and this rant has been bubbling under the surface and I feel better for saying it. Feel free to ignore me.
14y ago