@HarneyB I am testing a theory that most people start with Linux before they are 25. Simply because before that our brain and body are still under development. After that we tend to settle... get families e.t.c... and time to discover new things are more limited.
I started when I was 15-16 I think. ;)
Of course there won't be as many people who started using Linux over 25. I was interested since the early 2000s but it was too complicated for me back then, plagued with hardware compatibility and thus accessible to very few. I started in 2007 (I was nearing 40), and I think it's only around 2010 Linux OSes were user-friendly enough to get more users. 10 years isn't a long time span.
Let's not forget interest follows awareness which depends on easy availability. The very few computers sold with Linux aren't well marketed. Mainstream media *never* mentions Linux. 98% of the population don't even know Linux exists. Okay, I invented that figure but based on my dealings with "regular", non tech people, it must be close to reality.
@normand @HarneyB I dualbooted to about 2008. After that I deemed Linux stable enough and hosed Windows. Before that you had to configure X yourself e.t.c...
Actually... many are aware. I remember when I was at a previous workplace and we started talking at a break 2010ish. We where actually 3 at that workplace who used Linux. Before that it had been pretty lonely. Nowadays I meet people all the time who either know about it, use it or have used Linux.
I guess it depends on work places. Is yours tech oriented? I work for a manufacturing company, and I can tell you, on the shop floor, even those tech inclined have no idea Linux exists. Even in the office, I'm the only Linux user.
One thing I should say, I was amazed to learn that one of the shop guys knew of #FreeCAD and used it on his Windows PC. 😀
@HarneyB
@shellkr I heard about Linux from my grandpa (who didn't use it, but had heard about it). Eventually, I looked up linux.com and tried to find a download page. I searched for a while, but couldn't find anything. Just articles *about* Linux.
After a few weeks or months, I somehow discovered the concept of distributions, I installed Ubuntu 16.04, and began to be fascinated by every aspect of it. I became a fan of Ubuntu and was excited for Unity 8 (and was very disappointed when it was dropped).
In 2017 I began to branch out and discover other distributions. By 2018 I had tried Linux Mint, Arch Linux, many flavors of Ubuntu, Debian, OpenSUSE, and more.
It all started when I was 12, with that innocent mention by my grandpa (who still is a Windows user).
@josias My first taste of Linux was back in 1996 and Slackware. I played with Redhat 1998 as it came with a Linux book I bought. Then Mandrake around 2001 and Ubuntu 2005-2006. I didn't like Unity and loved Gnome 3.. so did some work on UGR but gave up and moved to Arch 2010ish. Have been using Arch ever since. I have also moved to tilingwm called Bspwm. ;)
@shellkr I first installed Mint in Spring 2017. Was amazed I never knew about it.
@shellkr
Of course, without the context of how old the person (us) is in relation to Linux and it's age, well that answer doesn't gain much 😜
@shellkr 28% + 57% + 11% + 5% = 101% 🧐
@emanuele Yes, and it is not the first poll I've seen this... it is some kind of bug.
Not that it matter much... the results was as expected. ;)
