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Take a look at this...proof positive

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by jck

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of what kind of people Linux users are to Windows users.

Just check out the number of opened questions that have been answered that haven't been awarded yet in each Tech Q&A.

Friggin 4 in the past month for Linux still open...like 100 in Windows.

Plus, there was a guy in the Programming Support that wanted someone to send him some sample code of how to do something.

If you can't find an example of how to do something in .NET with Google or MSKB, you should be shovelling cow s*** in Nebraska rather than be behind the keyboard as a programmer.

F***ing amazing...and someone even made light of my not wanting to hand the guy free code. I think it's proof positive...Windows is truly the OS of the lazy programmer. He should do his own work. Instead of wanting help with a specific technology, he basically asked "How do you program this? If you can, please send a sample."

Probably why I started messing with Linux. Windows has been boring me lately.

17 replies

by j.lupo

No jck :), just remember that people post in the Q&A , but almost NEVER close their questions or even provide feeback to those that do answer them. This is a really hot topic on other discussion threads here at TR. It would be nice if people did close questions, or comment, or assign points, or something, but I don't see it that much.

Also, I don't think there is a LARGE Linux community here at TR. I could be wrong, but I don't think there is. Whereas, it appears there are more Windows people, therefore a larger number of questions in that area on Q&A.

Just my opinion of course.

by apotheon

There are less people asking Linux-related questions in TQ&A than Windows-related questions. That's true. I'm not sure of the percentages of each that get closed, though. I should probably look into that. At a wild guess, I'd say it's likely that Linux users close their quetions more often. This, of course, would be because of the higher percentage of Linux users who are computer-competent, and thus tend to know a bit more about the courtesies involved in dealing with a technical community (like the fact that being a complete ass to those from whom you demand help isn't courteous). There's also a far greater old-school hackish mentality amongst Linux users ("hackish" in the sense in which "hacker" was used in the days of early unix use at Berkely and MIT, not in the Microsoft- and media-driven sense of "hacker" as a malicious system cracker), as opposed to the end-user mentality that is prevalent among even network administrators in the Microsoft-centric world.

That's not to say that there isn't some crossover. There are end-user idjits amongst Linux users and hackish types amongst Windows users and, in fact, I've only been using Linux as my primary OS in this century: I was once an all-Windows guy, but I was still more hacker-minded than end-user-minded even then. Others, I'm sure, are as well.

Well. I've babbled a lot, and ultimately it's nothing but wild speculation. Time to move on.

by jck

I've been both...in the current definition of hacker (someone works at details) and the old one (someone who broke into systems...I did it as a teen when 1200 baud was the state of the art).

of course back then, it was about getting into unis and stuff to read papers and look at code samples...not to see how much you could put your name all over a website or antagonize someone. We were more into doing things as a means of exploration...not self-important bragging rights.

by j.lupo

Apotheon, this is funny, I am reverse from you in background. It is only in the last 4 years that I have worked Windows environment and my greater experience comes from the UNIX world. I think I may have worked on every flavor of Unix including some that are no longer in existence to the newer ones just coming out. I got pushed into Windows just as Linux was really starting to make an appearance in the market. :( I want back into my UNIX world.

by the admiral

I don't think it is lazy, I think it is irresponsible. Object Oriented Coding allows you to re-use code, but just asking out of the kindness of your heart for code from another programmer is a bit on the unethical side (especially when we are bound by confidentiality rules)

by jck

that Windows users seem far less likely to answer and close their Q&A than the Linux users.

Since April 1:

41 Windows support still open
1 Linux support still open

Of the Windows items, a few (I think 7) had rejected answers and a few (I think 5) were unanswered, but the majority of them had answers that hadn't even been rated. One I think had 7 unrated answers.

Honestly, I think that it would only be fair that if a question goes a period of having answers go unrated, that it is either removed or the points are split so that the guy can't keep asking, getting answers, and leave it hanging. If you're gonna ask and offer points, you should have to pay if you get a response.

by cactus pete

I'm not disagreeing with you.

But statistics are a group of dangerous little beasties... In the same amount of time, how many were closed?

What does it all mean? That can be debated as much as any other Linux vs Windows issue...

by apotheon

I understand your desire to go back to using unices, certainly. It's mostly my long experience and expertise with Windows that makes a Linux lover of me.

by jck

just do this:

1)buy a 40GB hard drive and a drive tray mount and tray, and a spare tray.
2)download and burn all the Linux environments you can find
3)put the mount in the case and your current hard disk in a tray
4) put the new 40GB in the spare tray
5) install Linux/Unix/HP-UX or whatever on the 40GB
6) whenever Windows depresses you, pull it out and put Unix/Linux in.

That's what I did. When I feel like doing something with Linux, it takes me all of 2 minutes to shutdown Windows, swap drives, and reboot with Mandrake Linux in the machine.

by j.lupo

jck, I like that idea. I am taking your post and going to work with my technician to update my home network that way. Then I can have everything completely set up. I have so much to catch up on in terms of networking and architecture. I have focused too much on programming languages an programming in general and kind of left out the other part of IT. :( (sigh)

by jck

I've been writing software in the Microsoft environment professionally for almost 13 years (since before I got out of college). And, I was technically trained in only Unix systems in college. Our CS Department chairman hated Microsoft.

MS Stuff has its uses, but it is not a well-designed OS. If I were going to run servers to handle mail, news, firewalls, etc., I'd definitely be running a *nix flavor.

If I was going to be running PCs for desktop use, Microsoft is really the way to go right now because of the availability of all the software out there.

Once Linux has the enormous amount of software being made for it, MS is gonna have to face facts and seriously compete.

BTW...if you're gonna do what I suggested, just make sure you also get Linux and/or Windows drivers for your devices and ndiswrapper too, just in case.

Burn the CDs in ISO format...and let it roll...you should be good to go.

by jck

some 28 are untouched...some since the first of the month.

just hard for me to believe there might be 41 times the questions.

by cactus pete

You can filter the lists by selecting "all" in both rows...and you can see how many were ever asked.

58 questions asked in April for Windows Support. 3 questions for Linux. (so far)

March
Widnows Support 84
Linux Support 6

There are also, I think, more questions in other topics that pertain more to Windows based systems than Linux.

Still, I run Linux at home, and I have a few more Linux installations at work each year...

by j.lupo

Ok, thanks for the advise. I have got to spend time catching up. I can setup a full UNIX system in no time (AIX, HP-UX, SCO, SUN-OS, Interactive, etc), but just ask me about Windows and I am . . . .

by keith hailey

I kinda like not worrying about the programming part. But, even I may have a programming question occasionally.
And I like WindowsXP (SP2, also, it's faster and quite stable) because I DON'T have to worry about it. I'm not a lazy programmer, I just don't like programming. Did it and it's not my cup of tea. However, I do like to put it all together, Hardware-wise, and then push it till it cries "Uncle". then Back off a TAD and give it to the Client. And they seem pretty Happy with that.
I've tried Linux a little, But there are too many different commands and I just don't have the time and/or inclination to unlearn and relearn.
Take care.

by denwasson

I can remember dialing in from our Omaha office to our Pennsylvania office with an acoustical modem and 300 baud - on a device that printed out on thermal paper! Talk about how far the world has come since '76.

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