Well, this weeks TWiT was certainly insulting to Linux

[G+_Craig Williams]

Well, this weeks TWiT was certainly insulting to Linux ... Apple evangelists calling Linux "an OS of no importance' (I'd love to see a 'turn off Linux for a day' day and let them see how "unimportant" Linux seems then?)

 

TWiT should apologize by having a TWiT with all Linux evangelists as guests in the near future (I really don't see how Leo can call his network a network for geeks, when they barely even acknowledge that Linux exists .. it's be like calling your network a 'automotive network' and only ever acknowledging the top two car manufacturers models. )

 

Sure, Linux may not have a large desktop following, but until tech evangelists start paying attention to the REAL 'most important' OS, and stop over hyping the 'pretty tech' from the likes of Apple/MS (and even Android), then they are not doing those wanting to know something about the REAL 'computing geek world' any favours. 

[G+_Fabian Manino]

As much as I am interested in Linux and realize how much most every network relies on it, from a consumer stand point, there is not much reason to get on a band wagon here. IMO. I would like to see a Linux episode. Though what they will do with the other hour and 45 minutes is unclear. I KID I KID! lol

[G+_Davis Claypool]

and Microsoft should apologize for windows 8. It has no place on a desktop

[G+_David Landry]

Fabian Manino I appreciate that on the face of it there doesn't seem to be a lot of Linux topics to fill a weekly show, but when you stop and actually look at it in an unbiased manner, there is lots of Linux news (shows like 'The Linux Action Show' and 'Linux Outlaws' and others find enough to talk about on a weekly basis) .. it's not like news of another iPhone case, or WP8 'catch up app' is intrinsically more exciting than your average bit of Linux news.

 

The only reason Linux is not "news worthy' is because the "news readers" don't bother to read the "linux news" ... a 'catch-22' situation that can only be rectified by major tech influencers getting off their lazy a$$es and start reporting ALL the news, not just the spoon fed Apple/MS/Google bubble news.

 

At the very least Leo could stop getting guests that make uncalled for insults towards Linux ... if Linux has an issue that needs talking about, then great, but to simply dismiss it every time it is mentioned is just a bit too much .. really.

[G+_Andrew Boyter]

Linux is absolutely critical as the foundation for a lot of the technology we use. It is hugely important as the back end for our everyday lives.

 

It is not, however, consumer grade technology. As such it will not have a place in the average tech news show because it simply isn't relevant to the everyday activities of the vast (as in 95-99% according to wikipedia.org) majority of consumers.

 

Linux gets poked fun of because it has a tiny market share in consumer PCs and because Linux users get so defensive. It's like teasing a younger sibling.

 

Maybe the Ubuntu phone will change things. That thing looks sweet.

[G+_David Landry]

Andrew Boyter Can you give me a list of things that 95-99% of the average computer user does that Linux is unable to handle? Keep in mind that the 'vast majority' of users aren't hard-core gamers, don't require anything too much beyond browsers, email, listening/syncing-music, a bit of text editing, maybe a simple spreadsheet or two?

 

The only reason that Windows/OSx are more 'popular' than Linux is that Apple and MS have better marketing, and they come pre-installed.

 

Also keep in mind this is not 1999, 'the terminal' is not an issue anymore (I'd actually argue that if you have an action that requires a terminal on Linux, the same action in Windows or OSX would also require a terminal, and the terminal in Linux is a better experience than is the terminal on Windows or OSX.)

[G+_Fabian Manino]

Gaming is my big reason for not jumping ship. Steam on Linux is a huge reason I may build out a new system.

[G+_Andrew Boyter]

David Landry Linux can absolutely handle everything one can throw at it (aside from gaming, one still pretty much have to have a Windows box for that even if one uses Steam). But my argument is that news shows are about what the average user is interested in and uses everyday.

 

95-99% refers not to the activities but to the quantity of users (sorry, I did a poor job of writing that sentence in my previous post). As long as Linux only has 1-5% of the market, it will continue to get the kind of coverage reserved for products with similar market shares including Windows phone and Blackberry 

[G+_David Landry]

Gaming is a valid reason, as would the requirement to run a specific App not available under Linux (ex: Photshop.) 

 

That said, anyone claiming that they are used to MS Office, or prefer Photoshop over GIMP is simply stating a preference that may be more subjective than an actual reason to claim that this is part of a requirement for a 'consumer grade rating'.

 

I'm more comfortable editing pictures in GIMP than I am in Photoshop, but that's just a preference probably based on the fact that  I am more used to using GIMP than Photoshop .. if 95% of computer users were 'more used' to GIMP than Photoshop that would still not make Photoshop a 'non-consumer grade' product.

 

It's not that no one has a legitimate reason to use Windows or OSX over Linux, it's just that 'valid' reasons based on the inabilities of Linux (vs reasons based on "I'm just more used to doing it on MS/Apple") are actually few and far between ... but that doesn't stop main stream media tech evangelists presenting them as though Linux  was still a command line only OS.

[G+_David Landry]

Andrew Boyter but news shows (or tech media shows) should be about letting tech enthusiast know what's out there and what their valid options are .... sure, you can have specific shows dedicated to specific technology. I would never suggest that Mac Break weekly should have to devote any of its time to Linux, but I would say that a technology network should be ashamed of itself if it claims to be a network about computing technology devoted to catering to the needs of computer 'geeks', then goes ahead and largely ignores the single largest piece of computing technology in the world.

 

Heck, Apple has what? 20% of the desktop market, and 30% of the mobile market, and there are at least 3 shows devoted to Apple (only one show each to the 79% desktop  market share desktop , and the 70% mobile market share holder... to me this is simply a case of being beholden to Apple (not that I would claim it is a conscious decision to push Apple, but rather they get caught up in the little 'Silicon Valley bubble'  where all they and their Silicon Valley tech media friends use Apple products, so they naturally have an internal bias in favor of Apple products ... it's like the "Washington Beltway media Bubble' ..  if you get too close to those you report on, then your reporting becomes biased and uncritical.)

[G+_Andrew Boyter]

That's a good point. On the other hand, I think TWiT and other tech news outlets are beholden to what sells. Apple seems to get more views, clickthroughs and mentions. And we may still be living in an iPhone/iPad bubble where those two devices radically transformed an industry.

 

As far as the number of shows go, I think it just has to do with eyeballs. Android has one because they only do phones, Windows has a show because they have huge desktop marketshare, and  I get the feeling that if a hundred million people bought Blackberrys tomorrow, TWiT would consider adding a Blackberry show. Maybe Alicia Keys could host it.

 

But you're right, the fact that Linux has a small marketshare doesn't mean we should belittle it. I'm sure the occasional well-intentioned joke is appropriate (Heaven's know I've born the brunt of more than my share of "Apple Hipster" jokes). But let's not be vicious and demeaning.

[G+_Ricky Cash]

Your'e not going to learn anything about Windows on the TWIT network either. You will learn about sales figures and trends, people who work or used to work there, rumors about said things. It's pop tech. As good as the various flavors of Linux are they will never be one thing. Sexy. There are no sexy personalities or billionaires or ad campaigns or products. We all love sausage but we don't care how or where it's made. Linux is the sausage of the tech world. Besides isn't FLOSS weekly abut Linux.

[G+_David Landry]

Ricky Cash FLOSS is about open source software ... it's mostly about frameworks for enterprise level apps ... most of it would likely be run on a Linux platform, but it's hardly a 'consumer' level Linux show ... I'm not sure I ever heard the word "Linux' uttered on FLOSS Weekly (mostly because it's not needed to me mentioned given the audience.)

 

As for 'eyeballs', I imagine that a Linux show would get as many eyeballs as does 'Ham Nation', 'This Week in Law', "The Giz Wiz''  (not that those shows aren't good, just not 'mainstream' like Apple/MS shows, so 'eyeballs' seems to be a very selectively applied excuse..)

 

I guess my main peeve is that on the more 'generalists' shows (TWiT, TWiG) the guests are almost always highly Apple centric journos and bloggers ... and IMO they are the 'Boy Bands" of the tech world, they know 3 chords and 2 dance moves ... just enough to keep the pre-teens thinking they have actual talent.

[G+_Ricky Cash]

Too bad Leo doesn't think he can get good engagement on Google +. he could learn something from people like David Landry. You could have never gotten that point across on twitter.

[G+_Michael Olsen]

As a consumer/prosumer desktop OS, Linux is an OS of no importance. Raw usage numbers bear that out. It doesn't matter how awesome it is. And it is very possible to be a geek and not be interested in Linux. TWiG is most certainly not Apple centric and TWiT generally covers the week in technology, which is a sector dominated by Apple.

 

After what is covered on FLOSS and TWiET what else is there left to talk about in Linux on a weekly show...kernel updates?

[G+_Douglas Jenkins]

+Michael Olsen you may be very correct about a Linux episode being boring. After all, it works so well the only excitement IS a kernel update!

[G+_David Landry]

Michael Olsen yeah, I suppose .. this is the same reason Music review shows only review Justine Bieber, and food shows only have MacDonald Burger recipes ... because raw numbers is the only thing that makes something 'important' enough to talk about.

[G+_Andrew Boyter]

hehe...raw food numbers.

[G+_Michael Olsen]

David Landry In the context of the discussion, numbers are the only thing that matter: Would there be enough listeners to support a Linux show-no; do 99 percent of TWiT listeners want to hear a lively discussion on Linux-no. Numbers do matter if your business relies on the number of viewers /listeners /readers etc. Leo is a pretty smart broadcaster. If there were any money to be made in a Linux show he would do one. (TWiL is getting accreditation for CLE so there is money there and Ham Nation is a pet project).

[G+_David Landry]

And you get these numbers where? Certainly not from any sampling of the TWiT chat board, but that may not be representative of the TWiT community as a whole, so I'm open to some verified numbers if you have them.

[G+_Andrew Boyter]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems#cite_note-Net_Applications-1

 

It's wikipedia, obviously, but here is the web analytics firm they quote:

 

http://www.netmarketshare.com/#