When Someone Says We Should NOT Use Linux..

We must learn to research further when someone writes something like 3 reasons why we should not use Linux. Many people already responded to the post and have told the blogger the things that debunk his/her arguments. The blogger was too general about his/her comments about Linux.

No blogger is perfect. But really, for those who are looking for a Linux distro or an application to use, other people’s opinions need not to be the final and deciding factor. I personally think that we should try out these distros and applications despite opposition from whoever. Bloggers are just people too and could be wrong. It’s nice that you hear us out and try out some things that we recommend. Seriously though, sometimes we give some things too little credit because we’re biased. That or we end up raving about something else too much. Everyone has biases. It’s that bloggers end up broadcasting them to the entire world.

For us to find out whether something is good or not, useful or not, we have to research further. What could help us in our research? Here are some things that I look for:

• Other blog entries. What do other people say? Are a majority of relevant search results show that whatever that thing is, is truly terrible? In this case, do we see nothing that says that Linux is good? What are the reasons pointed out by other bloggers? Are those reasons relevant to me as a user?
• Forums. Checking up user forums could be helpful too. You could gauge if the users stick with it or not. You will also learn some of their hacks, tips and tricks. A lot of forums have a section for beginners or newbies so that’s one place to check. You could search for your hardware in forums too. There will be a chance that someone has already posted a problem and/or solution to hardware specific issues.
• Release notes and change log of the Linux distribution. These usually have something to say about support for particular hardware, changes, etc. You don’t have to complain about not having support for your hardware because they could have written those warnings but you might not have read them. Sometimes after a newer release of a distro has been done, I wait a bit to see what comes up in the forums and mailing lists regarding the latest version. Some people would complain and some would post work-arounds or solutions.

It’s a matter of learning and finding good resources to trust. No need to follow a naysayer just because. You still have a choice if you learn more about things.