Comments for My issues with Linux et al

A few points, as everything you bring up is valid. This being said:

Linux isn't Gnome.
Linux isn't Pulseaudio.
Linux isn't Compiz.
Linux isn't even Ubuntu.
Linux is most definitely not Steam.

Linux is just a kernel. What you do with it is up to you.

If you don't like Gnome (or any of the above software), use something else.

If you like Gnome (or any of the above software), get involved. Submit bug reports (you'll likely find that many of the issues you've mentioned are already in the system), support other users (so developers don't need to spend time supporting users). You don't need to be an elite programmer to help the system, but you have to get involved if you want to improve things.

I'm not convinced that attempting to grind a highly Windows-specific workflow into Gnome is the best material for a general review. If you play a lot of games and don't like Evolution and Nautilus, why not just use Windows XP? Save yourself some stress. I've been using Gnome for over 2 years on my home computer with minimal problems.

Vista and KDE (especially KDE 4) have just as many or more problems. It's just the state of the union pal. Desktop operating systems are not perfect.

"I've mentioned bugs and vented my frustration that they're not fixed fast enough. This is exacerbated by knowing that it would take somebody with knowledge of the relevant projects just a few hours, if not minutes in some cases, to relieve my stress."

A massage therapist relieves stress, not a friggin' developer. You'll be lucky if no "stress relieving" developer sees your remark.

I sympathize greatly, seeing how I've encountered a lot of the same problem in Ubuntu. Actually, I use Kubuntu because of the configurability issues in Gnome - but I respect your choice to use Gnome.

Also, I think you've inadvertently stirred up part of the problem in the comments here: some people that use Linux do it with such blinding enthusiasm that they aren't able to accept any criticism whatsoever, and instead flip it around and criticize you. If one thing will kill Linux on the desktop, it's us alienating people trying to use it.

You'll be happy to know that (at least) Ubuntu 8.04 has the 'Keep Aligned' option for icons on your desktop (right-click desktop -> Keep Aligned checkbox). That doesn't prevent icons from overlapping, but makes aligning a lot simpler.

The Gnome reputation for developers has for some time been "We know what the end-user wants, regardless of what the end-user wants." This is something you accept when you use that desktop. Really, it's OK for some people. My son (11 year-old pain in the arse) doesn't want KDE (says it looks too much like Windows). He wants something that's simple and WORKS (hence Ubuntu). And, as a side note, we bought his laptop (an HP DV9000) pre-installed with Windows Vista. It didn't work (e.g. the screensaver, power resources, etc.). We wiped Vista and installed Ubuntu and ...it just worked... amazing that a bunch of developers that don't have the resources of Microsoft can put a product together that just works...but I digress.

My wife uses Kubuntu for the KDE interface. Again, IT JUST WORKS.

Personally, I use Gentoo with mostly KDE. I'm a total geek and I like the control over the system Gentoo forces me to exert. Ubuntu and its various flavors handle a lot of the configurations that I really don't want to tweak. That's why the rest of my family uses the Ubuntu family of software.

I think the bottom line is that there's a flavor out there for everybody. I think that the usability of the systems has moved to a level where I can actually feel comfortable presenting it to my dad and feel confident he'd be able to use it.

I'm an advocate of Linux, that should be obvious. But until this year, I never would have recommended it for the average 'Joe 12-pack'. I really think that the Ubuntu community has made their distribution the one that turns the corner.