A popular topic for bloggers and technology journalists (I would even argue that some major newspapers have participated) are “my first experiences with Linux” posts. In other words, the author sits down and installs and tries to use Linux writing whatever they think as they go along.

In theory, I understand why people write them. It should be useful to understand the experience of a new user, but all it ends up being is a war between Linux users and Windows users/the author in the comments. What’s wrong? Two things:

Authors, Do Your Research

Most of these posts are written like notes with whatever the author was thinking at the time. In other words, almost no research goes in to these posts. Unfortunately, I admit, it is very hard to criticize Linux if you are not well informed. If you make a wrong claim or an apparently mis-informed claim, it will be jumped on, particularly if you used it to point out a flaw. Instead, I suggest authors keep these notes to themselves. After trying out Linux, or while you try out Linux, figure out the solutions to the problems you encounter and take the time to understand what the perspective of an advanced Linux user would be. Then, once you have done this, tell me the difference between the newbie’s perspective and the geek’s perspective.

You Can’t Fit Everyone’s Wishes

Everyone has a way they want everything to be done and it better work that way or else it makes no sense whatsoever. The problem is that if you make one person like it, the next person comes along and hates it. You can’t win – except by education. Now I realize this depends on people doing a little bit of research, but, in my opinion, the most important thing for Linux now is to improve the end user documentation, so that they can easily discover how things work in Linux. Then, at least, you can point out that the information is clearly documented and the author should have read it.

It’s not that I want the Linux-haters and Linux-dislikers to just be quiet, I am just sick of poorly -researched posts that do nothing more than generate a war.