Need suggestions on keypoints for magazine article

[ki4jgt]

I recently started a magazine (as in first publication was today). Let's just say with three days to plan it, it wasn't as big a success as I was hoping. It has another publication next Sunday. I want to cover the Linux movement. I have two pages to work with and NO, I am not asking you to write an article for me, but to make suggestions. What would you say inspired you to go into the light? What do you like about Linux? Have you contributed to the Linux community? What points do you think are important in the history of Linux?

[sandyd]

I recently started a magazine (as in first publication was today). Let's just say with three days to plan it, it wasn't as big a success as I was hoping. It has another publication next Sunday. I want to cover the Linux movement. I have two pages to work with and NO, I am not asking you to write an article for me, but to make suggestions. What would you say inspired you to go into the light? What do you like about Linux? Have you contributed to the Linux community? What points do you think are important in the history of Linux?

Since Im bored...

What would you say inspired you to go into the light?

Got infected by Malware, Viruses, .etc .etc. Oh, and I was a bit poor back then - I was stuck with a box that had the words "Pentium III" on a sticker. That thing is still in my basement.

What do you like about Linux?

It doesn't gobble resources up like a gorilla on steroids. It didn't work with my junk SiS card, but a friend took pity on me, and got me a low-end ATI Card for my birthday. Linux is also much more customizable, and can be stripped down to the core functions that you need. A lot of times, resource usage in Windows is caused by things that you will never use. Linux also provides a easy way to install software, without searching all over the web for what you want. In addition it is (quite) secure, and can be made more secure if you want.

Have you contributed to the Linux community?

Of course, why else would there be a orange tag right under my username ;)

What points do you think are important in the history of Linux?

When Gnome 2.x matured. There was some kind of usable desktop environment. Ive found that many that become proficient at Ubuntu Desktop move on to servers and such, further increasing the number of users knowledgable about Linux, and those who become interested in it.

What don't you like about Linux?

Graphics are iffy. Today, if you want to get a Linux computer that won't have graphical issues at all, get one with a Intel 3000HD/4000HD Card. The Nvidia OSS drivers are quite slow, and the Nvidia Propreitary drivers suck and have problems for some cards. Oh, and they don't support Optimus, which forces users to use Bumblebee, which creates unstability.

I would generally have been okay with ATI as well, but they abanonded support for my 3650 :(

[ki4jgt]

Since Im bored...

What would you say inspired you to go into the light?

Got infected by Malware, Viruses, .etc .etc. Oh, and I was a bit poor back then - I was stuck with a box that had the words "Pentium III" on a sticker. That thing is still in my basement.

What do you like about Linux?

It doesn't gobble resources up like a gorilla on steroids. It didn't work with my junk SiS card, but a friend took pity on me, and got me a low-end ATI Card for my birthday. Linux is also much more customizable, and can be stripped down to the core functions that you need. A lot of times, resource usage in Windows is caused by things that you will never use. Linux also provides a easy way to install software, without searching all over the web for what you want. In addition it is (quite) secure, and can be made more secure if you want.

Have you contributed to the Linux community?

Of course, why else would there be a orange tag right under my username ;)

What points do you think are important in the history of Linux?

When Gnome 2.x matured. There was some kind of usable desktop environment. Ive found that many that become proficient at Ubuntu Desktop move on to servers and such, further increasing the number of users knowledgable about Linux, and those who become interested in it.

What don't you like about Linux?

Graphics are iffy. Today, if you want to get a Linux computer that won't have graphical issues at all, get one with a Intel 3000HD/4000HD Card. The Nvidia OSS drivers are quite slow, and the Nvidia Propreitary drivers suck and have problems for some cards. Oh, and they don't support Optimus, which forces users to use Bumblebee, which creates unstability.

I would generally have been okay with ATI as well, but they abanonded support for my 3650 :(

Thanks for your answers. . . May I use your username (from here) as a reference in my article?

[sandyd]

Thanks for your answers. . . May I use your username (from here) as a reference in my article?

yes

[KiwiNZ]

What would you say inspired you to go into the light?

Back in the early nineties I was looking for alternatives for Desktop and Server OS's in the Corporate and Home markets.The cost then for Server OS's were very high and Linux provided a cost effective alternative and a robust alternative, sadly it still does not match the server side success on the desktop.

What do you like about Linux?

The same reasons I like Windows or OSX, in the appropriate environment it works very well.

Have you contributed to the Linux community?

Yes since the 90's and with ubuntu since day one.

What points do you think are important in the history of Linux?

Companies like Redhat, Novell, Canonical who have tried but not always successfully to make Linux a commercial success.This is key to the viable future of Linux.

What don't you like about Linux?

Resistance to change example, Unity it is killing innovation and hamstringing progress. Fragmentation, there are too many Distributions and this dilutes effort and makes the market place too muddy

[coldraven]

I recently started a magazine (as in first publication was today). Let's just say with three days to plan it, it wasn't as big a success as I was hoping. It has another publication next Sunday. I want to cover the Linux movement. I have two pages to work with and NO, I am not asking you to write an article for me, but to make suggestions. What would you say inspired you to go into the light? What do you like about Linux? Have you contributed to the Linux community? What points do you think are important in the history of Linux?

This inspired me to leave Windows:
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html
It's a long article but worth reading. In brief Vista spent my own resources to spy on me. The result is my complete lack of trust in Microsoft products.

I like Linux because it is free, so if an application does have faults I cannot complain because it did not cost me any money. But I can provide feedback to the author and help to correct it.

I contribute by helping others on this forum to the best of my ability. I also help neighbours to use Linux on their computers. Mostly on how to use an application, rarely an actual system glitch . (Unlike Widows which was always going wrong)

I'm not sure if it was the first to do so but when Ubuntu arrived with it's Live CD it became so easy to install that anyone could do it. You don't have to be an expert and you don't have to have umpteen driver disks to hand.

[ki4jgt]

What would you say inspired you to go into the light?

Back in the early nineties I was looking for alternatives for Desktop and Server OS's in the Corporate and Home markets.The cost then for Server OS's were very high and Linux provided a cost effective alternative and a robust alternative, sadly it still does not match the server side success on the desktop.

What do you like about Linux?

The same reasons I like Windows or OSX, in the appropriate environment it works very well.

Have you contributed to the Linux community?

Yes since the 90's and with ubuntu since day one.

What points do you think are important in the history of Linux?

Companies like Redhat, Novell, Canonical who have tried but not always successfully to make Linux a commercial success.This is key to the viable future of Linux.

What don't you like about Linux?

Resistance to change example, Unity it is killing innovation and hamstringing progress. Fragmentation, there are too many Distributions and this dilutes effort and makes the market place too muddy


This inspired me to leave Windows:
http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html
It's a long article but worth reading. In brief Vista spent my own resources to spy on me. The result is my complete lack of trust in Microsoft products.

I like Linux because it is free, so if an application does have faults I cannot complain because it did not cost me any money. But I can provide feedback to the author and help to correct it.

I contribute by helping others on this forum to the best of my ability. I also help neighbours to use Linux on their computers. Mostly on how to use an application, rarely an actual system glitch . (Unlike Widows which was always going wrong)

I'm not sure if it was the first to do so but when Ubuntu arrived with it's Live CD it became so easy to install that anyone could do it. You don't have to be an expert and you don't have to have umpteen driver disks to hand.

Thanks guys :)

[DuckHook]

What would you say inspired you to go into the light?

I've always admired community efforts, from community gardens to book-sharing libraries. The idea of a community-developed OS was too hard to resist. Once hooked, there was no going back. For many years, I used Windows and Apple (at work) and Linux (at home), but since retiring, have been able to drop Windows/Apple entirely. I still fire up Windows occasionally within a virtual machine, but the increasingly onerous and intrusive DRM and licensing provisions are really cheesing me off. In particular, I can't stand the we're-doing-you-a-favour-letting-you-use-our-OS attitude of the proprietary vendors. Linux has been an ongoing discovery of new opportunities. Too often, Windows/Apple were ongoing discoveries of new limitations.

What do you like about Linux?

It is rock-solid, fast, virus-resistant and built on a much better security model than the alternatives. It has a friendly and helpful community of adherents who are always willing to help solve a problem. Most of all, it is open source, which means that it will always be valued, developed and supported by a community that has now reached critical mass.

Have you contributed to the Linux community?

I'm not a programmer nor a networking guru, so I can only give elementary advice. Nonetheless, I try to participate in community forums and help using the little knowledge that I have. I also make financial donations to specific projects that appeal to me. Finally, I spread the word and help friends and family install Linux as their OS, perhaps the most needed contribution of all.

What points do you think are important in the history of Linux?

Creation of the LAMP stack, Red Hat's first mass-market desktop distribution, Canonical's decision to base Ubuntu on the super stability of Debian, Google's creation of Android.

What don't you like about Linux?

The command line is obscure, complex and difficult for general users, which intimidates most people and limits its take-up. Some members of the community treat Linux as a religion complete with crusades, excommunications and fatwas, while others revel in its obscurity and wish only to perpetuate the priesthood. Linux can be problematic with both very old and very new hardware and lacks support for many devices.

[Mikeb85]

What would you say inspired you to go into the light?

I liked the idea of having an OS I could control, one that was quick, robust and secure.

What do you like about Linux?

I like the performance, stability, the wide selection of software, but mostly the fact that you can own the software on your computer.

Have you contributed to the Linux community?

Not directly, but I have bought boxed copies of SUSE, and paid for services.

What points do you think are important in the history of Linux?

Linus Torvalds making the source code available under the GNU license, SUSE's deal with Microsoft, Red Hat becoming the first Linux company to do a billion dollars in revenue, Ubuntu's creation, and Android's using of the Linux kernel.

What don't you like about Linux?

I don't like the elitist attitudes, resistance to change, the fragmentation and wasted effort, and the religiosity of the 'free software' movement. For Linux to be successful it has to be commercially successful.

[Information Technology]

What would you say inspired you to go into the light?

The realization of being able to drive vendor OS costs down while driving quality up.


What do you like about Linux?

It's Unix, which means it's stable, fast, and not a toy.


Have you contributed to the Linux community?

Not by coding but by getting very large enterprises to adopt it and move it forward.


What points do you think are important in the history of Linux?

How companies, somewhere around 2005 - 2007, started to realize that Linux was a viable enterprise option.