I did not write this originally, but it has appeared unattributed in several places and forums on the web. So because it reflects a profound geek truth, I have taken it for my own.<\/p>\n
:(){ :|:& };:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n We tell people we use Linux because it\u2019s secure. Or because it\u2019s free, because it\u2019s customizable, because it\u2019s free (the other meaning), because it has excellent community support\u2026<\/p>\n But all of that is just marketing bullshit. We tell that to non-Linuxers because they wouldn\u2019t understand the real reason. And when we say those false reasons enough, we might even start to believe them ourselves.<\/p>\n But deep underneath, the real reason remains.<\/p>\n We use Linux because it\u2019s fun!<\/p>\n It\u2019s fun to tinker with your system. It\u2019s fun to change all the settings, break the system, then have to go to recovery mode to repair it. It\u2019s fun to have over a hundred distros to choose from. It\u2019s fun to use the command line.<\/p>\n Let me say that again. It\u2019s fun to use the command line.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n No wonder non-Linuxers wouldn\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n The point with us Linux fans is \u2013 we use Linux for its own sake. Sure, we like to get work done. Sure, we like to be secure from viruses. Sure, we like to save money. But those are only the side-effects. What we really like is playing with the system, poking around, and discovering completely pointless yet fascinating facts about the OS.<\/p>\n There are three main reasons Linux is so much fun:<\/p>\n 1. Linux gives you complete control<\/strong><\/p>\n Ever tried stopping a process in Windows and the OS wouldn\u2019t let you? Ever tried deleting a file \u2013 and you couldn\u2019t? Even though you had admin rights?<\/p>\n Linux lets you do anything. That\u2019s the great benefit of usually logging in as user. If you login as the root, the OS assumes you know what you\u2019re doing. Once you become root, everything is allowed.<\/p>\n 2. Linux isn\u2019t widely used<\/strong><\/p>\n This is a paradox. We often complain Linux isn\u2019t more widely used. But that\u2019s one of the reasons we use it. It gives us a feeling of being a special clique. Like we\u2019re better than \u201cthose ignorant masses\u201d.<\/p>\n If Linux becomes widely used, we\u2019ll probably switch to something else. Or at least develop an obscure distro that only we will use. Because, let\u2019s face it, we want to feel special.<\/p>\n 3. Linux is free (as-in-speech)<\/strong><\/p>\n We can get the source code for all our applications. If we want to know how a certain part of the OS works, we can. This lets us tweak and play with our systems. And we absolutely loo-o-o-ve tweaking our system.<\/p>\n Of course we can\u2019t tell non-Linuxers we use Linux because it\u2019s fun \u2013 they\u2019d stick us into a mental asylum quicker than you can say \u201cantidisestablishmentarianism\u201d. So we\u2019ll keep telling them the false yet plausible reasons for using Linux. But deep inside, we\u2019ll know the real reason we use Linux.<\/p>\n And maybe, just maybe, next time someone asks me why I use Linux, I\u2019ll flash a huge smile and answer: \u201cBecause using Linux is FUN!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I did not write this originally, but it has appeared unattributed in several places and forums on the web. So because it reflects a profound geek truth, I have taken it for my own. :(){ :|:& };: We tell people…<\/p>\n