Nikhil's blog

The problem isn't the community, its the people

Posted on May 23, 2007
After reading
Five crucial things the Linux community doesn't understand about the average computer user
 I have a point myself. FIrst of all I disagreed with most of his points.

Second of all the only aim of the Linux community is NOT world domination. Sure we would love more Linux users, and more Non-Microsoft users. But not at the expense of user stupidity. Here are my two cents on why people don't want to change to Linux ( or anything new ).
  1. Change - Change, all the problems in the RealWorldTM are due to this (But more on that some other time). I have observed that there are very few humans who actually want to change. People get an OEM installed WIndows and use it. Heck, some don't even know they use Windows. So try teaching them something else. Most people are dead scared of technology.


  2. Choice - People are uncomfortable with choice, especially when they need to change to accept a different choice. In addition to that, Microsoft's hand holding has dumbed them down to a level, where, when in front of the computer, the user is reduced to an assembly line robot of click here, then here instructions. On the other hand, for the community, choice is what runs the world, it keeps them happy. The very idea that if I don't like something, then I can change it, is like a drug.
As I said before, choice and change are the cause of many problems, and it is often technology that gets blamed. The community's first aim is to solve its own problems, then others. We thrive on choice, on change, on learning new things. And as long as certain standards are followed, choice and change can coexist. And I am sure that the community will not dumb everything down into a nice packaged product, just to get the world to adopt its software. Its is people who have to change, to become the inquisitive beings they once were.