All That is Stickney

So Cousin Dave is getting an Apple laptop. Being a computer enthusiast, he was discussing this with a colleague of his at Best Buy, who also works for the local college’s IT staff. This other kid, let’s call him “IT Guy” was asking if Dave was going to put Linux on his Apple. Dave said he wasnt planning on it, but he had used Linux on his other laptop in the past. IT Guy asks him what distro, to which Dave says Ubuntu. This is where I get disturbed. IT Guy scoffs. “Ubuntu, you mean Linux for retards.” IT Guy uses Gentoo.

I dont even know where to begin. Ubuntu has created more buzz about Linux on the desktop and Linux in general in the past 2 years than I have ever heard before. It’s trying to bring GNU/Linux to the masses, how can you not respect that? I can almost see where he is coming from. These people who install Ubuntu as their first distro and think they know everything. Assholes are assholes, doesnt matter what distro you are using. But for IT Guy to categorically generalize every Ubuntu user as a retard, come on…

I personally used Slackware for 5 years. I liked it very much. I compiled, make and make installed until I was blue in the face. But I grew tired of it, and the package management wasnt the best. Sure, maybe I didnt give it the chance it deserved, but I dont regret switching to Ubuntu at all. And, alas, I dont consider myself a retard for using Ubuntu. I dont think I am alone in this regard.

The other problem I have with IT Guy’s “Ubuntu == retards” comment is the fact that we Linux users have to stick together. There’s always discussion about distros, a few flame wars here and there for sure, but as Linux users we have to stick together for the good of the Kernel.

I guess I really have to take IT Guy’s comments with a grain of salt. I know he told Dave he works at Best Buy for the discount. Obviously, if he were a real geek he wouldnt be buying his stuff at Best Buy… but that’s another post for another time.