If this data comes from Lunduke's audience, then it's probably not very representative of computer users in general, since people who listen to podcasts about GNU/Linux are going to be particularly likely to identify with it relative to all GNU/Linux users.<p>Nevertheless, this finding still seems obviously true, and the reasons are numerous and obvious:<p>- GNU/Linux users are most likely to know what an operating system is, which one they use, and how it's different from their brand of computer.<p>- They're more likely to have chosen and installed their OS themselves.<p>- They're more likely to have invested time into getting their system and making it work.<p>- They're more likely to have an ideological reason for using their OS.<p>- They're more likely to see their OS as differentiating them from the majority, since there are fewer of them.<p>- They're more likely to know about and be affected differences between operating systems.
I only identify with macOS in the same way that I prefer one presidential candidate over another. I don't feel like I have much choice in the matter.<p>But with Linux, I absolutely identify as a proud Linux user. I <i>chose</i> it.
Seems legit. I identify as an OpenBSD user for reasons I suspect are true of many GNU/Linux users: I had to <i>choose</i> OpenBSD for myself, and make a not-exactly-trivial effort to not only get it installed, but learn how to use it effectively and create a comfortable computing environment for myself. Because I've actively chosen to use OpenBSD on my personal equipment, I identify as an OpenBSD user.<p>I don't identify as a Mac user even though my day job has issued me a Mac for use at work, because there's no personal choice involved other than my choice to work at a company that gives its developers Macs. The OS is just there, and I deal with it in order to do my job and get paid. I don't identify as a Windows user for similar reasons; when I worked at Microsoft shops I used what they gave me and put up with the OS because I had to.
This is unsurprising to me considering you have to go out of your way to get a machine running Linux; that’s not the case for any of the other OSes mentioned. You won’t find a Linux laptop in a retail store for example, nor are they readily presented to you on Amazon. Various manufacturers will sell them to you if you know to look for them, but that’s a pretty big “if.”<p>If you care enough to seek out an alternative OS, you probably care more about your OS choice than most.
Sounds reasonable.<p>Linux let’s users shape their environment exactly to their wishes.<p>Obviously then “their Linux” is something they identify with much more, because they partly built that setup themselves, for their own, personal needs only.<p>And because you <i>can</i> do that, you will also attract the kind of people who would like to do that, further amplifying the effect.<p>As a personal anecdote, for me, this is really the main reason I prefer Linux.
This seems to be more of an ego thing to me, personally I don't really identify with operating systems but do have a strong preference to supporting opensource vs proprietary software and hardware.<p>So I suppose that would make me a linux zealot to some degree, but not to the amount of some people that feel the need to point out they use linux as if that means they are somehow better than the common M$ or IOS user.<p>A similar attitude was also prevalent back in the 90s when artists and musicians all thought apple systems were much better for creative people and were willing to pay a premium for that hardware.
I wonder if it would be more accurate to say that linux uses use linux because it comes with a set of beliefs (GNU, free software) that match their own: they see linux as reflecting their own beliefs rather than identifying with linux because of some attribute or experience in using it.
Yeah, they're a bit like vegans that way - as the old joke goes, "Q: How do you tell if someone is a vegan? A: You don't have to tell, they'll tell you."