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Comment by phs318u

4 years ago

Speaking as an ex-Google user and an ex-Apple customer (still tied to Apple Music and iCloud for family phones), I'd compare Google to Russia - not particularly benevolent, a bit chaotic/random, citizens tend to shrug and accept their lot. Apple is more like Singapore, slick, seemingly benevolent, citizens honestly question why the rest of the world isn't run the same way.

EDIT: I'd add another way in which Google is like Russia and Apple like Singapore. Everyone kinda knows that Russia's leaders are a bit/a lot evil. There's still a debate about whether Singapore's leaders are evil.

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phs318u

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Symbiote  4 years ago

I like that.

I think it makes Linux some sort of United States: users like the principles, but almost all use one of the 50 major implementations, which tend to have small differences. When defending any perceived shortcoming, they will point to a different implementation without the particular flaw, or argue that the feature is not only unnecessary but undesirable.

Many outsiders are uncomfortable with the unwavering commitment these users have for the principles. Others often talk about moving to the USA, or how they plan to, but few make the effort to do so.

[The last paragraph convinced me the analogy was better with the USA than the EU.]

  • mbgerring  4 years ago

    Linux is also like the United States in that you are in some sense free, but everything just barely works, sometimes things don't work at all, and there is no hope of many well-documented problems ever being fixed. If you have a problem, you are "free" to fix it yourself, on your own, without support.

    • craftinator  4 years ago

      Have you used Linux in the last few years? Seems like all standard use cases work seamlessly, such as web browsing, streaming, videos, text editing, creating artwork, presentations, installing any random Linux binary, programming, ...etc ; only problems I've run into are by doing something stupid or doing something really really off the wall.

      And even when I've created a problem or chosen to do something way outside of standard usage, there has been a WEALTH of documentation, stack overflow discussions, and live Linux community support. I've never run into a problem that hasn't already been chewed over by the Linux community, solved, and the solution been posted in a clear, educational, and technically descriptive manner.

      I've NEVER has that kind of support from Apple or Microsoft. From them, it's always some half baked, high level / middle management overview type of solution, usually outdated, that discusses why it's a problem, why fixing it is dependent on the system (their system, that I've paid for), and how I should contact my system administrator, who's going to go read through the same page, then spend the afternoon sipping Pepto and dreaming of having a more sane job. Using their OS's is like wading through mud.

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    • gentleman11  4 years ago

      I find Linux issues easier to debug than windows or Mac issues, but that’s as a technical user. It would be frustrating as a newbie. I hear elementary is good for new users

  • sergeykish  4 years ago

    More like their state fixed particular issue, some move a lot between states, some settled on their first place. Some live all life in a hotel, some build their own houses.

    It looks scary for outsiders — how to choose state? Building own house requires so much energy and time, why would anyone do this? Just rent an apartment, maybe change wallpapers and door, bring appliances. Yes, sometimes owner moves switches, adds cameras, puts advertisement, forbids all but own groceries where he takes 30% cut, but apart from that life is good.

type0  4 years ago

> Apple is more like Singapore, slick, seemingly benevolent, citizens honestly question why the rest of the world isn't run the same way.

Apple is more like a Vatican and Google is like Saudi Arabia. Both corrupt in different ways.