Microsoft recently wrote that TPM 2.0 is a "a non-negotiable standard for the future of Windows." This pretty much confirms it won't back down on its hardware requirements for Windows 11, an OS that is seriously struggling to gain new users (~35% of Wi...

Seasons of Jason

@vkc @danirabbit @JoeRess This is eye-opening and sobering and I'm not sure if I want a whiskey or want to go on a nonstop Linux evangelism crusade until October 2025.

Seasons of Jason

@Uraael Please do let me know if you have any awesome brainstorms. I think one of the largest hurdles is simply choice paralysis new Linux users are faced with.

Kaze :veripawed3:

@killyourfm I feel like the discourse around Linux vs Windows has always been "Windows bad, you dumb for using it". Clearly this helps no one. Familiarity is comfortable, maybe we can spin it in a way that acknowledges the good times they had on windows, and Linux is, while not being Windows, can be a great tool too.

I'm not a writer, but I feel compelled to help. What can we do as a community

Scotsbear 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🐻

@[email protected]

Choice paralysis, eh? On that one I've often thought a simple carefully structured questionnaire/website might actually work wonders. e.g.:

Command line or GUI? GUI
focuses on Distros with great UI tools

Does the thought of not having any updates to anything for six months freak you out? Yes
*filters out fixed-release Distros*

DE's. Do you like tweaking things?" No:
*narrows to Gnome-focused Distros, or Distros with Gnome spins*

Aaaand so on. There's got to be a way to do that that is easy to understand and doesn't bamboozle folks.

Perhaps we even start Grading distros according to certain criteria, so they can display a CERTIFIED AWESOME FOR NEW USERS! badge, or something.

Random thoughts. Idk. Need food.

Fritjof :emacs: :ardour:

@bloodaxe @killyourfm my parents (78 and 80) do the same, and both made the switch about for years ago. They are in no way technical, but never had an issue.

Seasons of Jason

@kaze And I'm a writer on a platform that reaches millions, but unsure what to do. We can definitely help each other!

See, I know what *I* can do. I can educate. I can promote great distros and FOSS alternatives. I can write installation guides. I can show people how great gaming is on Linux.

And while that may help, am I just be adding to the noise? To the wildly differing opinions about where new users should start? Contributing to the choice paralysis?

Seasons of Jason

@kaze I don't want to act alone, if that makes sense. We need a movement, not a thousand disparate voices.

Tobias Frisch

@Uraael @killyourfm I think we really need to tackle the angle that staying with Windows implies Microsoft will always keep the option to shutdown your systems support and force you to buy new hardware, whether the responsible change is reasonable or arbitrary. So from the perspective of reliability, Microsoft has essentially started to sell E-waste as software by not offering an upgrade path. That makes any free software the more reliable option long term.

Seasons of Jason

@fritjof @bloodaxe Which distro are they using, out of curiosity?

Fritjof :emacs: :ardour:

@killyourfm @bloodaxe Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop

Seasons of Jason

@Uraael no these are great thoughts! A site like DistroChooser (https://distrochooser.de/en/) may be a half-step in the right direction. Some of the questions will baffle the average user, unfortunately, but I do appreciate the wide range of questions it asks.

It would be FANTASTIC if you could instantly "demo" the distribution it recommends, though. Perhaps a cloud-based VM or something that just fires up the Live desktop.

Seasons of Jason

@fritjof @bloodaxe Somehow, this doesn't surprise me. I need to spend some time with Mint (it's been years) so I can better inform my own recommendations to new users. It used to be Ubuntu, somewhat reluctantly.

Lately, I think something like Mint or Zorin might be better choices.

Seasons of Jason

@thejackimonster @Uraael This could be a compelling angle. I have SO many thoughts about this but I'm tripping over my virtual tongue trying to distill them into a short message.

Speaking of "we" -- how do we organize and mobilize? How do we stop being thousands of disparate voices and start rallying around common messaging? I know that sounds ambitious and borderline impossible, but it needs to be done.

Seasons of Jason

@thejackimonster @Uraael I *tried* to do something meaningful in the past with Make It Linux (intended to sort of be the "marketing arm" of the Linux community), but I had way too much on my plate and it barely saw the light of day.

Scotsbear 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🐻

@[email protected] @[email protected]

Herding cats would be easier, lol.

Taking a breather (has been a long day). I will come back to this, though. Even if we can get enough of us in the Fedi talking it might spark some other ideas for broader reach.

Seasons of Jason

@Uraael @thejackimonster Hey enjoy the breather, and please know I appreciate your input!

The most important thing we can do is keep the conversation going.

Seasons of Jason

Every word of this article still hits home.
We need a Desktop Linux Alliance.

2 Crucial Things Desktop Linux Must Do To Find A Larger Audience

It's time for better marketing, and it's time to form Voltron.

Forbes (www.forbes.com)

Seasons of Jason

Food for thought: In 2019, the Chinese Linux distribution "Deepin" released a series of short, polished trailers showing off its new features. A professional agency probably created them for less than $15,000.

Those trailers put Deepin on my radar. I wrote *ONLY TWO* articles about the distribution, and those 2 articles generated more than ONE MILLION views.

Desktop Linux needs professional marketing.

Ernie Smith

@killyourfm That’s interesting. I wonder if there’s room for a Linux-specific marketing agency?

Seasons of Jason

@ernie I've wondered that for years. Here's some light reading (/s) on the topic: https://sunlight.makeitlinux.org/