11/23/2021 22:12:56
So part two of the LTT Linux Challenge video series just hit and I gotta say: I'm done. After watching Linus slander Linux because of things that are totally out of control of Linux or were the result of his own obvious half-assery, I no longer have any intention of patronizing any of his business ventures.
Let's address the awkward part of this first. My wife and I both have LTT water bottles and I have an LTT Keyboard Pad. Thankfully those are decent products and aren't exactly screaming LTT in terms of branding, so we are going to keep those. The two plushie Linus' dolls in my office though? Ug. Buying those was a bit over the top. Gotta figure out what to do with them... short of burning them in effigy.
Now as for the video it's an even bigger cluster fuck than the last one. I'm not going to go through everything I hated about it, because I just don't have that kind of time. However the general theme of the video seems to be that everything that doesn't work in Linux must be the fault of Linux. For example, at some point Linus blames Linux because downloading a script from Github was hard. Github has fuck all to do with Linux and is a proprietary Microsoft product. He also blames Linux because Discord screen sharing doesn't work in Linux and the proprietary Nvidia drivers suck on Linux and the manufacturer of his exotic streaming equipment, like his GoXLR, doesn't support Linux at all.
I'm tired of this riff. I realize LTT makes their nut on views so I understand that generating this kind of drama is going to create more views which in turn puts more money into Linus' pocket. That's fine. I'm a realist and realize that we live in a world where ultimately greed reigns supreme.
However, let's not pretend for a second that this is a fair view of whether or not Linux can work for a gamer. Let's also not pretend that the fact it requires actual effort, makes it an invalid choice. Lots of things in life require an effort but are not automatically invalidated. For example, driving a car.
But let's get down to the meat of the issue. Linus is basically attacking Linux because it doesn't measure up to Windows and/or doesn't work with his exact hardware in the same exact scenarios. But you know what? That doesn't mean a damn thing. I work in IT so I have seen it when so-called Zoomers start a job and their eyes glaze over when you put their very first Windows Desktop / Laptop in front of them.
That's the real takeaway here: Making major changes isn't something you can do on a whim. It takes time, research and copious amounts of effort for such an endeavor to prove successful. Pretending otherwise only reinforces the negative view that unless something is 100% intuitive, it isn't worth spending any time on. This is especially dangerous in a world where everybody's starting point is relative.
For example: If you are a boomer or older, you were born before computing became a world-wide phenomena so grasping tech can be difficult. If you are a Gen-Xer or Millenial then you probably had the pleasure of getting hands on time with some of the relevant tech (e.g. Windows) before hitting the work force so you have a leg up. If you are a zoomer, then chances are that you grew up using tech that is different than the tech you will be using at work and will likely have a harder time learning how to use it.
LTT is pushing a very dangerous line here and make no mistake, I very much resent it. But if I'm being honest, this is merely the straw that broke the camels back for me when it comes to LTT. There are other issues with them that also bear mentioning.
Take for instance the fact that LTT essentially pushes the latest and greatest tech as a matter of course. They endorse and glamorize a wasteful and ultimately climate wrecking approach of doing whatever it takes to maximize your FPS. They are building PCs with thousand watt plus power supplies on a regular basis blinged out with eye blinding levels of RGB.
Why? That's simple: It's so Linus can show and tell everybody else that he has the biggest dick in the room. Never mind that he is generally backstopped by a team who writes the scripts and sets everything up for him (short of actual PC assembly, dropping of tech aside)... until this challenge in which he was strictly prohibited from doing that (guess we know why now). Perhaps this is why he has so many videos that involve setting up new complex tech at his various houses... because maybe the harsh truth is that he can't actually handle setting up and managing this stuff on his own. Perhaps without the team at Linus Media Group filling in the blanks, he's not actually much of a Tech God.
Regardless of much of the previous paragraph is true, I now humbly accept that Linus of Sebastian of LTT is actually the biggest dick in the room and because of that I'm choosing to walk away. I encourage all of my readers to do the same. Drop Floatplane and unsubscribe from Linus Tech Tips, Short Circuit and Tech Linked along with their various other channels on YouTube. Stop blindly encouraging this bullshit fest.
As for the plushies... I have no fucking clue what to do with those. I bought them as a joke, but I guess now the joke is on me.