I completely switched to Linux

 An ex-Windows user speaks out

I became a full-time Windows user in 2002. My personal use prior to that was Mac. But my computer was showing its age so it was time to get a new computer. My work at the time involved both Mac and Windows NT machines. Although my primary work computer was a Mac, I found myself using the Windows computer for a lot of the more complicated work because the Mac tended to crash when doing complicated work like photo manipulation. The Windows system never crashed on me but the Mac tended to crash at least once a day. When it came time for me to replace my personal computer, I looked into the Mac stability issues. it turned out that a lot of people had similar issues with the Mac version current for the time. So I decided to get a used Windows laptop to test drive before I made a decision. The stability and compatibilities of the Windows machine won me over. From there, I used as many Microsoft products as possible.

The first problem came a few years later when a version of Internet Explorer became incompatible with several websites which were important to me. Netscape was crap by then. But Firefox was a big up & comer. I decided to give it a try. To be sure that the IE issues were specific to IE, I also tested the websites in Opera. The issues were specific to IE. So I switched to Firefox. But I was otherwise a Microsoft devotee.

Then came Vista, which I began to use when I needed another new computer. This was a year or so after Vista was launched. Although Vista had a few new things which I liked, it was very volatile for me. It was actually reminiscent of my late issues with Mac. I decided to test a Linux distro for the first time. I did a dual boot on my main system. I liked Linux but found that some hardware and software important to me at the time didn't work. So I would switch between operating systems depending on what I was doing.

Windows 7 brought me fully back to Windows, although I continued to use Firefox as my primary browser and alternatives to the video and audio players. It was also around this time when I switched to LibreOffice instead of Microsoft Office. I was otherwise happy with Windows again. But an aggravating experience did occur with Microsoft. I was a web designer and used Dreamweaver a lot. I tended to upgrade it every 3 versions. But Adobe switched to the SaaS model so I was not able to upgrade without paying an ongoing fee. I disliked this model. So I looked for a Dreamweaver alternative. Microsoft had one called Expressions Web. I bought Expressions after testing the demo. I liked it a lot. But it was only a few months later when Microsoft announced that Expressions development was discontinued. It was irritating to discover that software which I just purchased would never get upgraded. Microsoft Money also added to my irritation because it was also discontinued. But both of these continued to be functional and I was enjoying Windows 7. So the irritation was not too great. That was until Windows 8.

Most people agree that Windows 8 was a mess. I fortunately missed out on it for quite some time. But I eventually needed a tablet. Since I felt that Apple products were off the table, I got one with Windows 8. I thought it sucked even for tablets. I acquired multiple 3rd party utilities to tweak it to be more useful. This included a utility which brought back the start menu, which I found more functional than the default navigation method. But Windows 8.1 came out, which brought back some of the missing functionality. This was fortunate because my Windows 7 computer got damaged. Since Windows 8.1 was just adequate on the tablet, I went ahead and purchased a laptop with 8.1. on it. That being said, I was so happy when Windows 10 came out.

Although I found Windows 10 highly functional, there were a couple of irritations. Microsoft Money would not work on the early versions of Windows 10 so I had to switch to different accounting software. And the Edge browser was aggravating. Although I was primarily using Chrome by then with Firefox as my secondary browser, there were a few websites which I needed to use which only fully worked in Internet Explorer. But they would not work with Edge. It was fortunate that they kept IE for quite a while. Additionally, I continued to use alternatives to the default video and audio players, which I moved away from years before.

I was generally pleased with Windows 10. Although I was not personally having upgrade issues, I kept my internet connections set to metered so that I could control when I installed the updates. Eventually, even Microsoft Money began to work after a year or so of updates. But my Windows 10 experience was not all good. Edge never became as functional as other browsers, even when it switched to Chromium. Although the new photo viewer was pretty, it lacked some of the functionality of the old photo viewer. But a small regedit brought back the old viewer. A major misstep with Windows 10 was the initial discontinuance of MovieMaker and the replacement with an inferior video editor. After I needed to do an OS reinstall, I discovered that I needed to get an alternative video editor to do what I used to do with MovieMaker. So I not only had switched to alternative players but Microsoft also pushed me to alternative editors as well. So my Microsoft experience began to degrade again.

It eventually got to the point where the only Microsoft product which I used was the OS. It was basically just a shell which housed all the other 3rd party functionality. I was wondering when Microsoft would do something to the OS which would further push me out of the Microsoft ecosystem. Well, Windows 11 is that something.

It seems to me that Microsoft can't just evolve their software. They have to radically reinvent things. Each reinvention of their software besides the OS motivated me to switch to something else. I was so hoping that it was true that they would simply continue to evolve Windows and not radically change it again. But, for me, Windows 11 is the reinvention which pushed me too far. As I indicated, Windows basically became just the means for me to navigate to all the non-Microsoft software which I used. And I thought that the navigation in Windows 10 was quite functional for both my laptops and tablets. But too many of the key features which I consider important for the navigation will be gone with the initial Windows 11. Although I suspect that Microsoft will do a .1 release like they did with Windows 8, It is still frustrating to be looking at the upcoming period of a degraded experience.

I made the decision to revisit Linux. Although Windows 10 will supposedly be supported until 2025, who knows what might be degraded as Microsoft pushes people to Windows 11. I decided to be preemptive and install a Linux distro. I selected the Zorin OS because of its similarity to Windows.

I first installed Zorin on my backup laptop. It doesn't have a lot of space so doing a dual boot would have been limiting. I did a complete replacement on the backup computer. Most of my existing Windows versions of applications installed fine through Wine. Most of the remaining apps had adequate Linux alternatives. But I decided to do a dual boot for my main computer so that I could still use the Windows versions of the software which would not work on Linux.  Although Zorin OS installed fine, something went wrong with the Windows side. Although the Windows option was listed at startup, Windows would not boot up. 

The Windows applications which would not install in Zorin and had no Linux alternatives are not heavily used. Of those which had alternatives which were not as robust, the alternatives are adequate for my current needs. So I decided to clean things up and do a complete Linux OS replacement. I have now been exclusively using Zorin for a few weeks. I use a lot of different programs. So I am still adjusting. But the adjustments are not uncomfortable. I can say that many users who use less software than me will be comfortable with Zorin. Although I chose Zorin, I know that Mint and a couple of other Linux distros are quite similar to Windows. I even read about some which are similar to the Mac experience.

So a take away is that a lot of people don't have to be locked into Windows or Mac. Although Zorin is new to me, I had previously done dual boots with other Linux distros. Even the ones which were substantially different from Windows were not very difficult to get used to. I had previously used the Mint version. I almost went with that again. But Zorin seems more like Windows than even Mint.

Doing a Google search for "Linux alternatives to Windows" results in a lot of information. One article is https://www.tecmint.com/best-alternative-linux-distributions-for-windows-users/. I believe that, for most people, the fear mongering about Linux which has been spread is unwarranted. This is especially true for casual and moderate users. I am a heavy computer user and even I am happy with my decision to abandon Windows and not return to Mac. I hope that Microsoft's misstep with Windows 11 will motivate people to try Linux. Even if people manage to successfully do a dual boot or eventually return to Windows or Mac for some reason, it might get Microsoft and Mac to stop reinventing and get to the tasks of evolving their software. Although I will probably need to continue using Windows at work, my hope is that I will continue to be one of those people who find no reason to return to Microsoft and their excessive reinventions rather that evolution. It is looking quite likely that I won't personally return. 

Shifts away from Microsoft

 I once looked to Microsoft first for apps and computer services. But various changes pushed me to alternatives. Their abandonment of software forced use of alternatives. Their Office subscription motivated me to fully switch to LibreOffice. The removal of MovieMaker forced me to find an ultimately better video editor, which I stayed with because their new video editor is inferior even to MovieMaker. Inconsistencies with OneDrive motivated me to switch to Google Drive. Internet Explorer issues motivated a browser switch. I never bothered with Edge until it switched to Chromium. Even then, I stayed with Google Chrome and Firefox until it got to where it had enough unique features to bring me back. I almost left Windows for Linux during both the Windows Vista and 8 stages. But I used too many Windows specific devices and apps. So I stayed with Windows through the trying times. I got to like Windows 10 a lot. Now, Windows 11 looks to bring back start menu issues similar to Windows 8. The start menu functionality is quite important to me. I use a wide range of apps. Being able to group those apps like all Windows versions except 8 supported is important to me. If Windows 11 menu functionality is oversimplified as it appears in the screenshot below and no third party or other option for changing the menu isn't available, I may very well switch to a Windows style Linux distro. Hardware is now less of an issue. If all my apps are compatible with or replaceable in Linux, I may finally abandon Windows. I am tired of Windows flopping between good and bad and not adequately accounting for the needs of heavy users. And the menu functionality is very important to heavy users.

A factor which has helped define my perspective on abortion

 I am glad to be alive. That being said, I had some quite rough periods in my life. A large factor was being raised in a household which was ill equipped to deal with raising children. If I were honest, I feel that my mother would have been justified if she decided to have an abortion. But that was not an option due to legality and religion. She was barely even involved with the details of my rearing. So a lot went wrong. I do not advocate my own death or for others born under bad circumstances. But my own upbringing has helped define my perspective on abortion.

Another factor is my brother. He has a mental condition which had made his life difficult. I love him and try to make him as comfortable as possible. He is now just capable of living on his own but is not able to support himself. He had spent years in "homes for the mentally handicapped" after my mother abandoned him. As described to me, his cognitive and emotional issues were evident even as a toddler. But nobody endeavored to figure out what was wrong. It was simpler to pass him on and pay him off. As a living being, he has a right to life, kindness, respect and so on. But this has also helped define my perspective on abortion. It has also clued me in that there is insufficient assistance for people who might live more fulfilled lives with a bit more guidance than is given. My brother even admits during his more lucid moments that he wished that people would have guided him in a different direction.

Some things which I consider part of progressivism

The question came up regarding what I consider as part of progressivism. Like most names for philosophical and social views, "progressivism" has referred to different things at different times. One of the problems in using a single word to describe a group of views is that some people counter the current views with antiquated views which used the word in the past. An example is how a presenter in a YouTube video was falsely portraying the current Democratic party by talking about how they were generations ago. Another problem is how opponents misrepresent the current use of the word. Still another problem is the use of the word by groups in an attempt to make themselves look different from what they are. I have even seen some social conservatives referring to themselves as the true progressives. Multiple definitions which are currently in use are also problematic. Some of these factors are why I do not refer to myself as liberal. When it seems necessary to use a single word to represent my views, "progressive" in its current and broader use seems to fit. In general, I believe that we need to continue to change socially, educationally and environmentally. Change is necessary as new information becomes available. So I use "progressive" in the sense of the necessary positive changes which I see as needed on both a personal and societal level.

Here were my responses to the question with a few added. These are not in any sort of priority and only a partial list. Some are general since this is simply a list.

• Bettering humanity. We had some very bad ideas, some of which became institutionalized and affected how we treated each other. In addition to some people still holding onto those bad ideas, systemic factors continue to maintain both the ideas and the effects.
• Bettering the understanding of the human condition. Things are very complex. Part of what I consider progressive is acknowledging the complexities and acting accordingly. 
• Be honest and factual about history. Doing otherwise prevents us from understanding current conditions and may also lead to repeating past mistakes. A troubling phenomenon which I see is the de-factualization of history. Historical revision is good and important if it relates to a truer understanding. But some people are creating false histories to shore up fallacies in current events 
• Continually endeavor to distinguish between facts and beliefs or exaggeration. Words such as "fact" and "truth" are all too often used to refer to beliefs and ideas. I think that this is a serious detriment to progress.
• Details are also a part of being progressive. This includes existing information and consequences of policies and actions. Too many times, simplistic approaches to complex issues have created stagnation. As a simple example, things are often more complex than "us" and "them". Conditions such as racism or homelessness are all too often oversimplified by multiple sides.
• Understand the long term consequences of both current and past conditions. Racism and homophobia are examples of issues which have been affected by conditions across generations.
• Changing those things which have negatively impacted people
• Don't condemn others for their activities or relations if there's no harm being done. This also relates to understanding. If someone wants to have a perspective on something, take the time to understand it. Otherwise, be neutral. It's OK to say that I do not have a perspective on that because I do not know enough about it. Too many people have negative perspectives about "others" with no actual knowledge about them.
• Be willing to evolve one's viewpoint based on new factual information. I was given a lot of bad information when I was a kid. Once I realized that, I changed my views on a lot of things. Sometimes, those views changed simply because I realized that I had bad or incomplete information. Admitting that I did not know something was a form of information.
• Be willing to admit when "I don't know".
• Admit the wrongs of the past so that we can correct the current conditions impacted by the past, avoid those wrongs in the future and evolve our ethics. Generations of things like homophobia and forced segregation have impact long after those things end. Even on an individual level, things in the past affect current conditions.
• Do not get locked into ideals of the past. Dictates and rules made decades, centuries or millennia ago may be based on incorrect or incomplete information at the time. Plus conditions change and rules need to change accordingly. Humanity is not static. We continue to evolve, especially socially.
• Don't judge people simply because they are or act differently. Criteria for judging others should be more harm based according to real, tangible factors. At a minimum, be neutral regarding things which do not harm. Homophobia is a prime example of fearing "others" with no factual information for the fear.
• Become more cognitively capable
• Being more factual
• Not conflating facts simply with what feels correct.
• Acknowledge when feelings impact views or actions. It's not always a bad thing but feelings can also lead to generalizations and stagnation, especially on the negative side. A lot of racism and homophobia still exists because of feelings associated with them. But progress can also be positively impacted by feeling. This is one of the complexities of human existence.
• Admitting when I do not know something or was given false information and endeavor to find out what is actually true if I intend on taking a stance. 
• It is necessary for human health and life for humanity to clean up the environment. Consequently, it is necessary to evolve our technology to be cleaner even when there is initial financial impact. Long term, cleaner and healthier environments are more financially positive.
• Be open to expanding personal views on things even when it is uncomfortable but be aware of potentially misleading information.

A little sexual orientation history

  

A young man's video about his sexual orientation got me thinking about my first same sex attraction and subsequent repression due to religion. I was 11 years old and I spent most of my time in the neighborhood with 1 particular guy. After a while, we began to play doctor. He and his family had to leave the small town due to a bankruptcy. 

As I entered 6th grade, I became more involved in religion. I had read the whole bible and reread many sections. This included the sections where gay activity was condemned or interpreted as such. I became so devoted to religion that I entered the understudy for the ministry by 14 years old. I was even doing sermons. In addition to suppressing same sex attractions, I did so with all relational attractions. 

Family troubles motivated me to enter the Navy at 17 years old. Something happened which opened the way to a lot of behaviors which I previously considered sinful. Sexual experiences became common albeit only with women. Although I became aware again of the same sex attraction, it seemed too dangerous to act on it while in the military. At the time, the military not only had extreme reactions to homosexuality but also actively looked for suspicious behaviors. 

I was sexually involved with several women over my 4 years in the Navy. Near the end of the enlistment, I realized that I was attracted to a couple of guys in my division. Although there were some flirtations, nothing sexual happened. The results of getting caught were too great. That was one of the reasons for leaving the military.

There is an effect of sexual suppression. Suppression for too long can result in excessive and chaotic behaviors once the suppression ends. I made a lot of relationship mistakes after the military. I believe that many of those mistakes were due to not even acknowledging my sexual orientation let alone experiencing them.

So I admire people in later generations who are able to acknowledge and be honest about their sexual orientations. I think that it makes for much healthier and saner lives.