Ubuntu is to Linux what a Plush bear is to a grizzly. An overtly optimistic rendition of something that should be dealt with carefully.
It is a step back, but not as bad as you make it out to be. It was a small mistake that M$ made while trying to play keep-up with Apple.
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/e7/archive/2008/11/20/happy-anniversary-windows-on-the-evolution-of-the-taskbar.aspxFirst off, note a specific quote in that blog entry, it's the caption for an image of the new taskbar:
Fig 2. The Windows 7 taskbar: Default settings include large icons, no text and glass surface
Now, for those who don't like this new taskbar and think it's a step back, allow me to highlight some keywords:
Fig 2. The Windows 7 taskbar: Default settings include large icons, no text and glass surface
That's right. Default settings. It's not a forced change. Personally, I prefer both small icons and title bar captions, not to mention a little bit more vertical space. So I did the unthinkable.
I changed the default options.
I know. Who does this? Apparently not people who like to complain about the defaults, that's for sure. Because despite them saying they want windows to be more customizable and the fact that they can easily change or revert options to suite their needs using that customizability they instead prefer to complain about it.
And then of course the Linux zealots will jump at any chance to use their "cool" words like "M$" and "Microshaft" all the while having absolutely no idea what they are talking about and running a toy Linux OS that is clearly trying to emulate windows, despite Linux Zealots constant proclamations of "LOL MICROSHAFT IS JUS COPYIN APPEL!!ELEVENTY".
First off, I'd like to state my "view" here. Nobody is copying anybody. That statement is the biggest load of crap I ever heard. Microsoft is not "lifting" actual code from Apple, nor did apple lift Actual code from the SPARC (or did they? damned if I remember, I don't think so)
The funny part is that the people debating who copied who and what they copied have no idea how bloody ridiculous they sound. It would be like people who use top loading and front loading washing machines arguing about who created the first front loader and saying that Company B copied Company A's "idea" to have a top loading machine, all the while sticking by their personal favourite (neither of which has any clear superiorities) and defending it tooth and nail, and even having arguments amongst themselves over the best detergent to pair with top and front loaders and also threatening violence against their mothers if they don't agree on which agitator works best on port stains.
And of course, we can see the obvious. It's a god damned washing machine, right? a Tool for washing clothes. It doesn't matter. But the analogy does. That's exactly what is happening when people argue incessantly about Operating Systems,
Programming languages, and even argue
amongst their BLOODY SELVES over which specific implementation of a Graphical environment is the best (this is of course more constrained to Linux, where you get to choose between KDE or GNOME, both of which blow goats since XFCE is clearly superior*, people will even argue about memory allocation and bloody
Language semantics. It's not because they truly believe that X is better then Y, but because they would benefit if X was better then Y.
As far as programming language debates are concerned, most people will argue that programming language A is better then B. what makes this interesting is that almost entirely the people arguing for Language A use it and the people arguing about Language B also use it. Therefore they aren't really arguing over which language is better, but they are locking horns to try to say who is smarter, since clearly if they can determine which language is "better" they will know which side was more intelligent in their choices. The same goes for Operating Systems. Windows users will defend windows because it's what they know, and Linux zealots saying "anybody who uses windows is a moron" don't exactly make them want to embrace Linux. That was in fact where I used this quote:
whenever you approach a topic with the attitude that everyone you're addressing is a moron whose current opinion doesn't matter, you lose. It doesn't matter if everyone you're addressing *is* a moron. Very few people can keep an open mind about a topic after you've insulted them.
And it was this very specific type of bullcrap that this was listed against. Just because a person uses Windows doesn't make them a moron, for one thing, and second, calling them a moron is hardly a good way of converting them. Saying "your a moron unless you use X" just demonstrates that you
have no better argument. I've also seen more then one conversation go something like this:
A:I want to use OS A, but will I be able to do Y and Z like I can do with OS B?
B:Yes, you will. in fact OS A does Y a lot better then OS B.
A:But what about Z? Can I still do Z?
B:Well, it's won't be as easy, but it also let's you do Q, Y and T a lot easier too.
A: But I don't care about Q Y and T. I've never even heard of Q and Y. I just want to do Y and Z.
B: Then stick with your O$ B, moron. Nobody should need Z. Anybody who does is stupid.
Now tell me, what the *censored* is this? A asks a few questions about OS A and wants straight answers, B is acting like a god damned salesman here. He's not trying to SELL OS A, he should be giving factual information about the applicability of OS B in A's situation. If it can't do Z, then tell them. Calling them a moron because they need a feature of another OS and then saying that that feature is stupid and nobody needs it who isn't stupid either. Because, you know, calling people stupid is a sure way to get new recruits. "OH! thank you so much kind arrogant stranger for informing me of my deficiency in IQ, I shall now do your bidding" is hardly going to be the response. A and B hardly need to be operating Systems. I've seen people argue (AFK) about wether coke or Pepsi is better. I mean... even the worst expletive can not represent my contempt for these people. It's SUGAR+WATER. WHO THE *censored* CARES. They do, and you know why? Human nature. subconciously (or maybe even conciously) they think, "oh, I use/Drink/eat product A, It's competition is Product B, because I am smart, I must be using the best one of the two, therefore product A is clearly better. And then sometimes they will take attacks on product A as a personal attack on their intelligence. Adding explicit statements about how far they were dropped on their head as a baby is hardly a good way to change their mind. It would be like going up to somebody, saying, "I want to be your friend. I will help you" and then stabbing them and yelling "your MOTHER WAS A *censored*!" and running away. Hardly a good way to make friends, trust me, I know from experience.
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To summarize:
I think anyone who hates/dislikes any OS is going to do so regardless of taste. common sense and/or functionality......
* Not really. That was my attempt at satirizing the whole "OMG I USE THE BEST IMPLEMENTATION" crap, which applies to nearly everything, everywhere.
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