
Linux users identify with their OS more often than Mac, Windows users - BryanLunduke
https://www.patreon.com/posts/32226964
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pgcj_poster
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.

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mindfulhack
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.

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Porthos9K
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.

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ryukafalz
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.

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josteink
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
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.

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sigmaprimus
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.

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mikece
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
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.

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dublin
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."

