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[Mephisto]

Reminds me of the xscreensaver guy's Windows download page.

[Trekkin]

The internet cannot answer a question like "should pea gravel in my french drain be hard like concrete".

I have a drainage problem and have dug around the drain. There is lots of pea gravel, but it's really hard; when I uncovered the pipe, there was enough pressure in the pipe so that it was gushing out of the exposed drain slits until the water got below the opening - this means it's just not draining from the length of the pipe, which kind of matches my observation that it's just all gushing out from one spot (and causing erosion) instead of nicely along the length of the pipe.

I've it all cleared away, but don't quite know what to replace it with.

There are gravel-free French drains which use polystyrene pellets instead, usually in a mesh bag around the pipe so you can just drop it in the trench and cover with soil. The smoother surface might help if you're dealing with mineral deposits, and if it's sediment accumulation that's to blame it will at least be lighter and easier to replace. Maybe try that?

[dragdeler]

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[bloop_bleep]

To be fair, a lot of the problems with using Linux are because proprietary technology mongers have shut Linux out of their approved technology cliques, so trying to get Linux to interface with those technology components is a constant uphill battle. The technology industry is full of wars of dominance over who gets to control not just the sale but the usage of various technologies, at the exclusion of everyone else.

Microsoft for one is very guilty of using dishonest tactics to take control of a technology sector and impose its will upon it. Embrace, extend, and extinguish. Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said "Linux is a cancer" because the open-source model of decentralized, open, community ownership threatens Microsoft's agenda of capturing power over every technology that exists. Microsoft doesn't want you to use freely-available software controlled by the community at large. Microsoft wants you to use its shitty mysterious black box tech that collects your data and dictates exactly in which way it should be touched and whose technology should be used with it lest you get hit with a lawsuit.

And the thing is, once one area of technology, like network card APIs, is captured by a company, it now exerts influence over other areas, such asthe operating systems that try to use that network card. That's the real reason that there is sometimes a lot of trouble with Linux drivers. Linux is not incompetent. It's very well-built, but none of the big companies want Linux touching their stuff.

[dragdeler]

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[itisnotlogical]

Regardless of what Microsoft has done, it's not what I want when I'm reading documentation with a specific question in mind. Imagine if a car manual had every diagram sandwiched between opinion pieces and editorials. Imagine if a math textbook spent every other page complaining about the school system or the publisher.

There's no shortage of places to soapbox on the Internet. Software documentation, and other instructional pages, should not be one of them.

[Rolan7]

Regardless of what Microsoft has done, it's not what I want when I'm reading documentation with a specific question in mind. Imagine if a car manual had every diagram sandwiched between opinion pieces and editorials. Imagine if a math textbook spent every other page complaining about the school system or the publisher.

There's no shortage of places to soapbox on the Internet. Software documentation, and other instructional pages, should not be one of them.

To be completely fair, your wants aren't the most important thing in the universe.  If they're served by someone who also happens to tell you that there's a better route, that's apparently likely to rise to the top of the Google search by being helpful.

Sure there are many places to soapbox, like social medias.  This is the realm of you wanting an expert answer.  And they gave it, wrapped in a recommendation.

[Reelya]

I agree with itisnotlogical here. An install package or instructions should (*not) preach to you like you're an idiot. A guide on setting up a BIOS for different OS should just give you the fucking instructions with a minimum of fluff and fuck off.

The deeper issue here is that if people didn't want the stuff Microsoft makes then they wouldn't be complaining. Sure, use Linux if it's as great as all that, but don't keep harping on about it. The reason they harp on about it is that Linux isn't all that great for most people. I've installed and used Linux a number of times, a variety of different distros and never been impressed by them. I want an OS that just does what I need and sits in the background so i can forget about it.

People complain about Microsoft not because Linux is "better" but because they actually want Windows except without Microsoft. Except ... Microsoft makes Windows, they're the entire reason it's ubiquitous and supports most things so well, it's not their fault when Linux drivers suck. Hardware manufacturers don't not assist Linux distros with tech specs because of some conspiracy, but because Linux boxes comprise like 1% of the market, and most of that is in the server space, not the consumer space, so it makes no sense to spend money supporting that.

You get what you pay for. The truth is, most things are just easier in Windows, and Linux-heads want that too. But instead of making that work for themselves, or just resigning themselves to that if you make something from free parts, there are trade-offs, they do the Microsoft-hate-boner.

[Rolan7]

Grant all of that.  People want Microsoft, they don't want a spiel, etc.

Google Analytics has identified the most helpful information, over time.  It's wrapped in a sandwich of "spiel" people can ignore.

This is only uncomfortable to people who want to selectively ignore what the helpful person is saying, but *can't* ignore it.  People who only want an answer, and can't ignore where they get it from.  How dare their instructor have an opinion? 

[Reelya]

Tech specs should be just the specs and not inject politics.

We're talking about instructions on setting up a BIOS here, not an opinion piece.

[Rolan7]

But a random person giving advice on the internet is not subject to such rules.

[dragdeler]

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[itisnotlogical]

I don't think I've had a bluescreen since before the "sad face" bluescreen was introduced. And that computer had been on its last legs for several years, and wasn't that great to begin with.

The deeper issue here is that if people didn't want the stuff Microsoft makes then they wouldn't be complaining. Sure, use Linux if it's as great as all that, but don't keep harping on about it. The reason they harp on about it is that Linux isn't all that great for most people.

Exactly. You don't see Mac users, even the tech-savvy ones (or the ones that appear to be so) with the outrage and martyrdom that Linux (more specifically, Linux-as-replacement-for-Windows) users put off.

[Teneb]

It's been a good long while since a game made me feel sick. Aliens vs Predator 2000 just did. Oh the horrors I am being exposed to by decided to actually play my backlog.

[itisnotlogical]

I always see that game highly recommended as a hidden gem, but it looks like a chaotic mess of carsickness waiting to happen.