Isn't Linux influencing teens?

[khurrum1990]

Hi, I am 17 right now and I remember I started using Linux when I first saw Beryl when it came out. I didn't know anything about computers or Linux then. I only used Windows for games and had a Macbook with Tiger on it. The desktop effects made me install Linux and now many of my friends guys and girls we didn't know **** about computers know so much about them thanks to Linux. Have many people below 18 developed an interest in Linux? Also I hope Compiz fusion will keep improving 3d effects.

[-grubby]

I'm 14. I don't know any teens that even take an interest in computers

[khurrum1990]

Most of the people I know, believe me in NO WAY r we nerds or geeks in fact the complete opposite. The only reason I bothered to learn about my computer was so I could run Beryl on it, now compiz fusion. Everyone knows when u install Linux u have a lot of learning to do.

[Polygon]

me and my friends are all into computers, one has ubuntu isntalled but doesnt really use it, and another cant cause the nvidia drivers for the 8800 are shaky.

[BWF89]

I'm 17.

I started playing around with Linux when I was 14 of 15ish but didn't actually install it with the intention of not going back until about a month ago.

[shad0w_walker]

I'm 18 and been running Linux for the last 2 1/2 - 3 years (Not sure exactly when i started)

It's rather disheartening to be a teen on an IT course at college and still see the 'Linux is gay' or 'Linux doesn't get viruses cause it isn't popular enough' ********. I picked it up and learnt it on my own time.

Oh well, when the major changes start happening I will be ahead of my 'competition' (Not that they were even vaguely skilled in Windows)

[hardyn]

im a bunch older than a teen (although i still feel like one), and linux did make computing fun for me again (to the point where im serously considering a career change). Windows was, well... boring! I like that the development is visible with linux, it is very exciting! I also like that linux is kinda "broken" and requires me to be under the hood fairly often, its something i get off on, and not something that is possible with windows; infact windows trys to remove the user from the computer, and computing experience.

[Vansinnesvisan]

Youth tend to be more adventurous than their adult counterparts; who often opt to sit on their laurels. Likely, most using Linux as a desktop OS are young. I'd like to think that may spur on growth for Linux. But using Apple IIe's in elementary, playing Oregon Trail and Number Munchers, didn't leave me inclined to use Apple products, however.

[khurrum1990]

Linux is great as a Desktop system. When I play games, I only play them on consoles, right now I am waiting for GTA 4 though. I also like the look on my friend's faces when I show them the compiz fusion effects, like I said the reason I gained an interest in computers was because of Bery. Seriously I have gained like a lot of knowledge and sh*t now cause of this system, otherwise before all I knew was how to use Windows or OS X. Yeah u right Linux makes computing more fun.






WINDOWS IS GOOD, OSX IS BETTER, LINUX IS A LIFE STYLE! :lolflag:

[mellowd]

I'm 26 now but started playing with *nix way back when I was still a teen

[miggols99]

I'm 13, and started using Linux in February. At first I didn't know what a partition was, but now I see myself now using Arch Linux, one of the most advanced Linux distros I never expected I would use. I learn quick ;)

[Mazza558]

I think the true nerds are those who dominate the industry with their business, and value control over freedom. Everyone here is awesome and unique for going against the grain, as it were.

I got into Linux when I was about 14, and it was a great learning experience for the future.

[bluedragon436]

I started really working with computers when I was about 12, played with Linux for a few years, then dropped it for a bit, and recently have been playing with Ubuntu off and on for about two years since it came about...but wasn't until recently that I really started using it as a main OS. I have pretty much dropped Windows with the exception of one computer used for gamming only, and even that is few and far between now. I know that after talking with my cousin he said that Linux is starting to get to be a really big thing at his high school, as well as a few people at the middle schools are using it...many of them are using Ubuntu as a matter of fact. I am enjoying it, and will continue to use it for as long as I can.

[PriceChild]

I think then, you would be very, very surprised at the gigantic range of ages, nationalities, races, backgrounds etc. etc, that are represented in the OSS world. Maybe we all should be.

Pricey

[hessiess]

im now 17, started using ubuntu when i was 16

[xaco1234]

i'm 17 atm, started useing linux when i was 16, edgy eft ruled, i remember when i was 13 we had an sucky linux version at school, built on red hat. they changed to windows 03 server not long after.

[happysmileman]

I'm 15 now, I started using Linux around my 14th birthday (just after Dapper came out) because I was trying to be a 1337 h4x0r, now I've grown out of that stage(though as childish as it may be, it does help teenagers learn programming and stuff) and still use it because I found it much faster and more reliable

[bashveank]

I'm 17, a lot of my friends want to know more about Linux when they come over and see CF. I don't know of anyone that's switched from Windows yet though.

[venator260]

I started using Ubuntu about 2 months after my 20th birthday, so I almost count:)

[peterjohn]

I'm sixteen right now and I am about to install Ubuntu and I have been screwing around with computers for about 6 months now.

[LaRoza]

I am nineteen, the last age of a teenager, and am programming on *nix systems and loving it.

[InsertNameHere]

I'm 14..

Linux is fun
I only know one other person in my school who can tell the difference between a OEM to a OS.......

[TeaSwigger]

I'm 18 and been running Linux for the last 2 1/2 - 3 years (Not sure exactly when i started)

It's rather disheartening to be a teen on an IT course at college and still see the 'Linux is gay' or 'Linux doesn't get viruses cause it isn't popular enough' ********. I picked it up and learnt it on my own time.

Oh well, when the major changes start happening I will be ahead of my 'competition' (Not that they were even vaguely skilled in Windows)

That's a good way of looking at it yeah.

Good on you not making your choices based on that stupid "(you name it) is gay" bologne. You can't sneeze anymore that someone isn't claiming you sneezed "gay." Sheesh. If they'll think that, well it sure isn't making what they think much worth listening to.

It's not just that you're better knowing some linux as things change in the future, but the main thing is that you're willing to look into things beyond whatever "everybody else" is doing and see clearly. That can def. be an advantage. :)

[digital_exhaust]

I think then, you would be very, very surprised at the gigantic range of ages, nationalities, races, backgrounds etc. etc, that are represented in the OSS world. Maybe we all should be.

Pricey

And I agree...

When I was a teenager, computers were...well, basically non-existent.

I'm old.

And I love Ubuntu, I think it's great, and it's awesome that young people are embracing OSS the way they are. You guys are the ones that are going to change the world.... make sure you do it the right way....

[montgoej]

I'm 16 now and I've always been good with computers. Linux has made me better, in general, with computers. With Linux I've learned programming, security and networking(I placed 7th in a national security competition after about a year of using Linux.) Linux also helped me get a job at a small ISP/PC repair place(where I get to use Linux :) ). I know a few other teens who use it(the teens I know that know more about computers than just how to use MySpace and Limewire), but in general I don't know too many teens who know much about it or use it.

[deepwave]

I started using Linux when I was 18, and liked it so much that I used it exclusively when in university. Became one of the "Linux guru"s of my year in university. Fun times, CS people asking me random Linux questions and non-CS people getting irate over my insistence of using OpenOffice. And I think I was one of the first people to run around campus with a Linux laptop, and drive the uni IT people nuts with my attempts at connecting to the wireless network.

Looking back at my own experience, Linux does influence teens. However only the teens who like to tinker with their computers. Now that probably changing thanks to Ubuntu. I know that Ubuntu made quite a splash at UTM, with most of the people who did do the Linux laptop or desktop thing switched to Ubuntu. And I even saw a few non-CS people using Ubuntu.

[fuscia]

i've had tons of teenage students and only three, that i know of, have even heard of linux. one has friends who use it, another had a dual boot, but never used linux because he forgot his password and the third has a dual boot only because her dad is a computer guy (she doesn't use it at all).

[Nano Geek]

I'm a teen and love Linux.
Go penguin loving adolescents!

[khurrum1990]

I was thinking most people would be above 24, had no idea some users were only 14.

[LaRoza]

I was thinking most people would be above 24, had no idea some users were only 14.

Some posters are 12 or younger in my travels.

Age doesn't mean anything unless you are a cheese. I heard that somewhere.

[quanumphaze]

Hi, I'm 19.

I installed Ubuntu 2 weeks ago on my laptop and only booted into Windows once. Had to wait weeks for free time to do it since I had end of semester exams (doing Physics/Electronic Eng double degree, lots of work).

I first tried it in 2004 but I didn't have proper internet in my bedroom at that time so I couldn't update and had to use the family PC's dial-up to google for help. Earlier this year a friend tried it out and showed me Beryl on his laptop and I thought "Wow" got interested in it again.

More young people will try it as it becomes cooler and easy to set up.

[rabid9797]

I'm 17, I've been using Ubuntu for the past two years. I have one other friend who uses Ubuntu(and he doesn't even live in my state anymore), all my other friends just use the computer for Itunes and games(some of them) My age group has absolutely no interest in computing(at least where I live)

[PatrickFisher]

I was 12 (7 years ago) when I first tried linux. I hated it. Absolutely and totally. I considered it unusable.

I wasn't even bad with computers.

When I was 17 I tried installing Mandrake on a Compaq laptop (which didn't work, of course). So, back to windows it was. Next I got a ThinkPad and ran Ubuntu, but wireless didn't work.

Needless to say, Linux has come a long way in seven years. I'm certainly impressed. Impressed enough that I removed Windows three months ago after never booting into it since I got my new computer (7 months ago).

[mouseboyx]

I'm 15 and I've been into computers since i was 5 and i now do a sort of like class for my school repairing various things while learning and helping the school.

5-10 basically no real learning
11-12 real learning hardware
13 programming
14 *nix
15 open source worshiper

[khurrum1990]

I know this is an off topic question, but I noticed on my computer which uses PCI express suspend and hibernate functions, but o my parents computer which uses AGP it barely works at all. Whats the deal with that? Also getting back to topic aren't there any girls around in these forums?

[hardyn]

I started using Linux when I was 18, and liked it so much that I used it exclusively when in university. Became one of the "Linux guru"s of my year in university. Fun times, CS people asking me random Linux questions and non-CS people getting irate over my insistence of using OpenOffice. And I think I was one of the first people to run around campus with a Linux laptop, and drive the uni IT people nuts with my attempts at connecting to the wireless network.


I was the only one in my department, excluding the profs. to run linux on his/her notebook as the primary OS... my notebook even sports a vinyl Tux that i bought from ebay.

[bobbocanfly]

I am 14 now, 13 when i first got interested in Linux. I installed it just out of interest and the fact Fedora Core (Not sure which version, the one with the DNA theme) looked much better than Windows. Was persuaded to try Ubuntu first instead of Fedora and here i am now. I didnt really know that much about computers (how they actually worked etc.) but i had been programming on Windows for a bit (Simple C# in VS2005) but now i am a true geek :D

I normally use the effect for things like changing workspaces, so i dont really notices them, but when my mates come over (13/14) they are like "WOW, i want that". 1 guy even installed ubuntu on his laptop but due to shaky compatability with his wireless he put Vista on it and another put it on an old desktop which he now uses more than his Vista laptop.

Compizfusion is helping to bring normal people to Linux, despite what many people say.

[matthew]

I was 11 when I first started getting into computers. I wrote my first program at 12 ("hello world" in BASIC...don't be too impressed). I'm now 37.

I think technology is one of those things that some people get and love and others never quite understand the fascination.

Back to the OP's question: yes, I think Linux is helping make computers fun again, especially for teens because they tend to be a bit more adventurous than the average adult.

[Asobi]

Youth tend to be more adventurous than their adult counterparts;

my grandpa, 86 now, on the last family visit took his sons and grandsons to the office to help him help him out on his pc. he was stuck on how to edit and create dvds :mrgreen: and he knows whats hes talking about when hes taking about a pcs hardware. its not just a magic box for him. pretty cool

but on topic, not just linux influenced youth. youth get influenced by about every damn thing the come across. see the quote i started with. i hate how my friends, im 25, already start to get boring ](*,)

[DjBones]

me and my friend shawn are about it as for linux up here..
the desktop effects are nice, and get other people my age interested in linux, but i just don't think most care about computers enough to put all the time required into learning and configuring lol

[khurrum1990]

Exactly yeah most people don't care. If they did they would know Linux is better than Windows or OS X. Most people I have noticed want an easy way out so if its not Windows its OS X.

[MattBD]

I'm 28, and I only started using Linux earlier this year. I really wish I had gotten into it when I was younger - it does make it a lot more interesting to use your computer. I'm now on an IT correspondence course, and I'm looking to get into web development. It's therefore helping me to find a way out of a crap job I hate, working for a life insurance company, and hopefully I'll be able to something I find interesting that's better paid and has better job prospects.
I do know a handful of other Linux users my age, and I've given people copies of Kubuntu on CD.
For any teenagers (or anyone of any age) looking to try Ubuntu, or any other Linux distro, I'd say go for it. If you have any kind of interest in computers, you'll find Linux to be endlessly fascinating, and it'll teach you valuable skills. Plus, it seems increasingly likely that Linux will become more and more prominent over the next few years, and knowledge of Linux will be very useful both professionally and personally.

[Vince4Amy]

I'm 16 and I started using Linux 2 Years ago (Mandriva).

[Rabindranath]

I am 18 and i too installed linux after seeing the ubuntu beryl vs vista video in youtube. I installed linux 6 months ago and many of my friends have dualbooted their systems after seeing the video.

[khurrum1990]

That Ubuntu Beryl vs Vista video was the same reason I downloaded Linux for the first time.

[markp1989]

im 18 started using linux when i was 15/16, never really used it as my main os until i was 17, one of my friends has used xubuntu on his old pc, because it was to slow to run windows at a decent speed.

[djhig]

I'm 19, been using Linux since the beginning of June and never boot into windows now. Seriously considering taking it off my system. I wish i'd started earlier though, i don't have much time to learn a lot of programming since i started uni and most of my linux configuartion has been done searching threads on here. Wanted to install linux for ages, but couldn't until i got my own laptop, my parents and sister are competent enough with windows and didn't fancy me tinkering about with the shared pc at home.