• Welcome to the new Internet Infidels Discussion Board, formerly Talk Freethought.

5 Reasons You Should Switch From Windows To Linux Right Now

Bronzeage said:
I have 4 PCs. One runs Windows 7, two are Windows 8, and one runs Windows 10. All of them work and get through the day, doing whatever is asked of them. Telling me I should change the operating system is like telling me I should swap engines in my car, because it will go faster and get better fuel mileage.
Click to expand...
While Linux has advantages, Windows has a bunch too... like running a boatload of software not available on Linux. If something stops working in Windows, it is easier to fix.

I have it (Ubuntu) dual booted on a couple computers. But I'm not recommending it to family, people with little experience with anything but Windows. It opens up a window for complications that can't be easily solved over the phone.

Yeah, we get it. Linux is wonderful, enjoy it. Linux users are the computer equivalent of Vegans.
 
Jimmy Higgins said:
Bronzeage said:
I have 4 PCs. One runs Windows 7, two are Windows 8, and one runs Windows 10. All of them work and get through the day, doing whatever is asked of them. Telling me I should change the operating system is like telling me I should swap engines in my car, because it will go faster and get better fuel mileage.
Click to expand...
While Linux has advantages, Windows has a bunch too... like running a boatload of software not available on Linux. If something stops working in Windows, it is easier to fix.

I have it (Ubuntu) dual booted on a couple computers. But I'm not recommending it to family, people with little experience with anything but Windows. It opens up a window for complications that can't be easily solved over the phone.

Yeah, we get it. Linux is wonderful, enjoy it. Linux users are the computer equivalent of Vegans.
Click to expand...

Except for a little complication:

Vegans are making their life harder. Linux users are making their life easier.
 
Ruth Harris said:
We are not discussing Linux exporting a file; we are discussing commercial accounting software capable of exporting a file which meets governmental standards.

Jokodo said:
It would not be feasible for them to have someone on staff to create or edit the required certified payroll files.
Click to expand...
How on earth is this less feasible than instructing everyone on the field to use the software that produces those files, and do so repeatedly with every update? Without knowing any details, I'd be willing to bet a crate of beers that the money going into schooling and re-schooling people about the most recent version of software used could pay for more than one person doing just that.

Yes, there are specialised purposes for which there is currently one and only one OS that delivers the desired result without pain.

For the specialised purpose of delivering an operable OS on a scaled-down and system like a smart-phone (android is a Linux-derivate) this OS is Linux.

For the specialised purpose of delivering an OS up to task on a scaled-up system such as a super-computer, this is Linux (as of 2017 and counting, 100% of the top 500 supercomputers in the world run some version of Linux).

For the specialised purpose of creating reports compliant with the format requirements of a government agency unable to process anything but the latest version of .docx, this may be Windows. For the more generalised purpose of providing a desktop environment in which people who don't touch a computer unless they have to feel at home, it no longer is.
Click to expand...
Mid and high range commercial accounting software does not have interface changes continually. This is not QuickBooks or Quicken. Typically, this type of software only adds menu functions but does not change the overall appearance or menu other than that. The last major interface change in the software I support was when they went from DOS based to Windows based in 1999.

As for having an employee dedicated to creating and editing the required certified payroll files, I wanted to attach a sample file showing the information in the format required but TFT would not let me upload an xml file. So following find the information required to report a single employee on a single job.

<vendorID>00514</vendorID>

<contractID>514116071</contractID>

<payrollNumber>1</payrollNumber>

<payrollBeginDate>2016-06-26</payrollBeginDate>

<payrollEndDate>2016-07-02</payrollEndDate>

<fringeBenefitPaymentType>Plan Funds</fringeBenefitPaymentType>

<comments/>


-<PayrollBenefitPrograms>


-<PayrollBenefitProgram>

<benefitProgramName>BCBS</benefitProgramName>

<benefitAccountID>999999999</benefitAccountID>

<trusteeContactPerson>UNKOWN</trusteeContactPerson>

<trusteeContactPhoneNumber>9999999999</trusteeContactPhoneNumber>

<benefitProgramType>Fringe Health/Welfare</benefitProgramType>

<benefitProgramClass>Health/Welfare</benefitProgramClass>

</PayrollBenefitProgram>


-<PayrollBenefitProgram>

<benefitProgramName>Vacation</benefitProgramName>

<benefitAccountID>999999999</benefitAccountID>

<trusteeContactPerson>UNKOWN</trusteeContactPerson>

<trusteeContactPhoneNumber>9999999999</trusteeContactPhoneNumber>

<benefitProgramType>Fringe Vacation/Holiday</benefitProgramType>

<benefitProgramClass>Vacation/Holiday</benefitProgramClass>

</PayrollBenefitProgram>


-<PayrollBenefitProgram>

<benefitProgramName>Pension</benefitProgramName>

<benefitAccountID>999999999</benefitAccountID>

<trusteeContactPerson>UNKOWN</trusteeContactPerson>

<trusteeContactPhoneNumber>9999999999</trusteeContactPhoneNumber>

<benefitProgramType>Fringe Pension</benefitProgramType>

<benefitProgramClass>Pension</benefitProgramClass>

</PayrollBenefitProgram>

</PayrollBenefitPrograms>


-<PayrollEmployees>


-<PayrollEmployee>

<lastName>Someone</lastName>

<firstName>New</firstName>

<middleInitial>A</middleInitial>

<socialSecurityNumber>258963147</socialSecurityNumber>

<PartialSsn/>

<vendorSuppliedEmployeeID/>

<gender>Male</gender>

<ethnicity>CAUC</ethnicity>


-<employeeAddress>


-<txl:StreetAddress>

<txl:street>0</txl:street>

<txl:cityName>0</txl:cityName>

<txl:stateCode>KS</txl:stateCode>

<txl:postalCodeID>66666</txl:postalCodeID>

</txl:StreetAddress>

</employeeAddress>

<changeIndicator>false</changeIndicator>

<salariedEmployeeIndicator>false</salariedEmployeeIndicator>

<comments/>


-<PayrollEmployeeLabors>


-<PayrollEmployeeLabor>

<craftCode>01</craftCode>

<laborClass>01</laborClass>

<projectID>KA 3705-01</projectID>

<ojtProgramIndicator>false</ojtProgramIndicator>


-<straightTimeHourlyRate>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>25.000</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</straightTimeHourlyRate>


-<overtimeHourlyRate>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>40.0000</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</overtimeHourlyRate>


-<healthWellfareRate>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>0.25</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</healthWellfareRate>


-<vacationHolidayRate>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>0.25</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</vacationHolidayRate>


-<pensionRate>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>0.25</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</pensionRate>

<apprentice>false</apprentice>

<apprenticeID/>

<totalHours>40.00</totalHours>

<straightTimeHours>40.00</straightTimeHours>

<overtimeHours>0.00</overtimeHours>


-<grossPay>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>1000.00</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</grossPay>


-<totalDeductions>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>40.00</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</totalDeductions>


-<netPay>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>960.00</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</netPay>


-<fringeBenefits>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>30.00</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</fringeBenefits>


-<grossProjectAmountEarned>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>1000.00</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</grossProjectAmountEarned>


-<regularHourlyRate>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>25.00</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</regularHourlyRate>


-<fICAAmount>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>10.00</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</fICAAmount>


-<federalWithholdingTaxAmount>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>10.00</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</federalWithholdingTaxAmount>


-<stateWithholdingTaxAmount>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>10.00</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</stateWithholdingTaxAmount>


-<medicareAmount>


-<txl:Currency>

<txl:amount>10.00</txl:amount>

</txl:Currency>

</medicareAmount>


-<PayrollEmployeeLaborHours>


-<PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>

<laborHourDate>2016-06-26</laborHourDate>


-<hourlyHours>

<straightTimeHours>0.00</straightTimeHours>

<overtimeHours>0.00</overtimeHours>

</hourlyHours>

</PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>


-<PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>

<laborHourDate>2016-06-27</laborHourDate>


-<hourlyHours>

<straightTimeHours>8.00</straightTimeHours>

<overtimeHours>0.00</overtimeHours>

</hourlyHours>

</PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>


-<PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>

<laborHourDate>2016-06-28</laborHourDate>


-<hourlyHours>

<straightTimeHours>8.00</straightTimeHours>

<overtimeHours>0.00</overtimeHours>

</hourlyHours>

</PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>


-<PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>

<laborHourDate>2016-06-29</laborHourDate>


-<hourlyHours>

<straightTimeHours>8.00</straightTimeHours>

<overtimeHours>0.00</overtimeHours>

</hourlyHours>

</PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>


-<PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>

<laborHourDate>2016-06-30</laborHourDate>


-<hourlyHours>

<straightTimeHours>8.00</straightTimeHours>

<overtimeHours>0.00</overtimeHours>

</hourlyHours>

</PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>


-<PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>

<laborHourDate>2016-07-01</laborHourDate>


-<hourlyHours>

<straightTimeHours>8.00</straightTimeHours>

<overtimeHours>0.00</overtimeHours>

</hourlyHours>

</PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>


-<PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>

<laborHourDate>2016-07-02</laborHourDate>


-<hourlyHours>

<straightTimeHours>0.00</straightTimeHours>

<overtimeHours>0.00</overtimeHours>

</hourlyHours>

</PayrollEmployeeLaborHour>

</PayrollEmployeeLaborHours>

</PayrollEmployeeLabor>

</PayrollEmployeeLabors>

</PayrollEmployee>

</PayrollEmployees>

</Payroll>

Given the complexity and all the information required, I am not at all sure how you expect a person to create or edit this type of file weekly for several hundred employees working on several hundred jobs. And as I said, I have not found any Linux based commercial accounting software capable of creating an acceptable file for this purpose.

Ruth
Click to expand...

I didn't mean that anyone should edit the xml-file by hand.

What I meant is that pretty much any programme is able to output e. g. a json-file with a one-to-one correspondence to such an xml. Writing a script that transforms such a json-file into the required xml-format is a matter of 45 minutes; with open source software, writing an extension that outputs just that directly from whichever programme is used to enter the data isn't much more complicated than that. Even if the final formatting has to be done on a Windows machine, that's no reason that everybody who inputs data has to work on a Windows machine.

I stand by my claim that a company with a sales volume in the 8-9 digits annually who has more than 1% of its computers directly involved in finalizing government reports is a total mess that needs to be cleaned up. Such a situation is likely to produce havoc: Who is going to keep track of which reports have and haven't been submitted, and when their deadlines are, if every subdepartment does their own?
 
Jimmy Higgins said:
Linux users are the computer equivalent of Vegans.
Click to expand...


Completely and totally disagree. Vegans are a) wrong, and b) far too restricted.

Linux runs the world. As I said earlier in this thread, the internet would not be here if it weren't for Linux. All mainstream distros come with huge loads of choice....SuSE at present bundles 30000 or so packages in the default repos, and there are plenty outside of those too. Also...http://www.prophethacker.com/2016/10/50-big-companies-and-amazing-devices-linux.html


If something stops working in windows, it's often impossible to fix, because you don't get source access, and are thus dependent on the vendor.
 
Jokodo said:
I didn't mean that anyone should edit the xml-file by hand.

What I meant is that pretty much any programme is able to output e. g. a json-file with a one-to-one correspondence to such an xml. Writing a script that transforms such a json-file into the required xml-format is a matter of 45 minutes; with open source software, writing an extension that outputs just that directly from whichever programme is used to enter the data isn't much more complicated than that. Even if the final formatting has to be done on a Windows machine, that's no reason that everybody who inputs data has to work on a Windows machine.
Click to expand...

Not so easy with any program, as I note in the post below.

https://talkfreethought.org/showthr...inux-Right-Now&p=567198&viewfull=1#post567198

Jokodo said:
I stand by my claim that a company with a sales volume in the 8-9 digits annually who has more than 1% of its computers directly involved in finalizing government reports is a total mess that needs to be cleaned up. Such a situation is likely to produce havoc: Who is going to keep track of which reports have and haven't been submitted, and when their deadlines are, if every subdepartment does their own?
Click to expand...

Typically in larger companies the comptroller receives the notifications of all governmental filings, and also keeps a schedule of who is responsible for which ones. There is no way that one person could be expected to complete and file all the reporting required by the government or other entities who receive the reports in a company with several hundred to several thousand employees. That is not limited to construction companies; governmental reporting is a massive job for any large company. There is never just one person doing all the reporting.

Ruth
 
phands said:
Jimmy Higgins said:
Linux users are the computer equivalent of Vegans.
Click to expand...


Completely and totally disagree. Vegans are a) wrong, and b) far too restricted.
Click to expand...

Indeed. I use Linux, and I have never even visited Vega. I know it's only 25ly away, but you know how it is, arranging someone to look after your pets and your house while you are away...
 
Jokodo said:
Jimmy Higgins said:
Bronzeage said:
I have 4 PCs. One runs Windows 7, two are Windows 8, and one runs Windows 10. All of them work and get through the day, doing whatever is asked of them. Telling me I should change the operating system is like telling me I should swap engines in my car, because it will go faster and get better fuel mileage.
Click to expand...
While Linux has advantages, Windows has a bunch too... like running a boatload of software not available on Linux. If something stops working in Windows, it is easier to fix.

I have it (Ubuntu) dual booted on a couple computers. But I'm not recommending it to family, people with little experience with anything but Windows. It opens up a window for complications that can't be easily solved over the phone.

Yeah, we get it. Linux is wonderful, enjoy it. Linux users are the computer equivalent of Vegans.
Click to expand...

Except for a little complication:

Vegans are making their life harder. Linux users are making their life easier.
Click to expand...

I’ll take remarkably out of touch statements for $1600. It is akin to answering the question, “Any computer recommendations” with “Build one yourself, it is much better!”
 
YuM04hx.jpg


The caption shows you how things have actually changed. I suspect that Apple usage is much higher as well.
 
The Ron Paul supporter of OS users.

(Not completely fair, because Linux is actually useful)
 
It's also fallacious. because if you look at actual platform numbers in the real world, Android, which is linux, is the runaway winner. But m$ fans only ever look at the desktop stats even when the cloud is ascendant.
 
phands said:
It's also fallacious. because if you look at actual platform numbers in the real world, Android, which is linux, is the runaway winner. But m$ fans only ever look at the desktop stats even when the cloud is ascendant.
Click to expand...
Seriously, m$ fans? You think this is a fanboy thing? Maybe the Ron Paul comparison is closer than I thought.
 
I have found Linux to be the smoothest, glitch free operating system that I have ever used, no viruses, no malware, just an occasional minor glitch. There are a couple of apps that I can't use on Linux, so I keep my old Win10 laptop for that reason, which only amounts to using it a couple of times a month....and given the huge Win10 updates that are backed up, that's too much.
 
DBT said:
I have found Linux to be the smoothest, glitch free operating system that I have ever used, no viruses, no malware, just an occasional minor glitch. There are a couple of apps that I can't use on Linux, so I keep my old Win10 laptop for that reason, which only amounts to using it a couple of times a month....and given the huge Win10 updates that are backed up, that's too much.
Click to expand...
Maybe that linux is smooth. And I do like it as such but..
most applications I have tested have dismal GUI and lot of strange behavior.
How anyone can think that inkscape is a good application beats me...
tes it can do many things but the way it does it is quirky and ugly.
 
Juma said:
How anyone can think that inkscape is a good application beats me...
tes it can do many things but the way it does it is quirky and ugly.
Click to expand...

It can do many things, it's free, and it runs on Linux, which means that a web developer working on Linux can create mockups and vector graphics without needing to buy a Macbook or dual-boot into Windows. It's one of my most frequently-used programs.

Inkscape is not anywhere near as good as Serif Affinity or Adobe Illustrator, but those companies haven't yet made something that I can use natively, and I wouldn't buy Adobe products anyway; they charge Australians outrageous prices.
 
Juma said:
DBT said:
I have found Linux to be the smoothest, glitch free operating system that I have ever used, no viruses, no malware, just an occasional minor glitch. There are a couple of apps that I can't use on Linux, so I keep my old Win10 laptop for that reason, which only amounts to using it a couple of times a month....and given the huge Win10 updates that are backed up, that's too much.
Click to expand...
Maybe that linux is smooth. And I do like it as such but..
most applications I have tested have dismal GUI and lot of strange behavior.
How anyone can think that inkscape is a good application beats me...
tes it can do many things but the way it does it is quirky and ugly.
Click to expand...


I don't use a whole lot of applications for personal use, so whether something like Inkscape is good or bad is irrelevant to me.

I do have a smooth, reliable operating system in Linux that serves me well for 99% of the things I do. The few apps that aren't compatible, yet I need to use on occasion, I boot up the Win10 laptop.
 
bilby said:
phands said:
Jimmy Higgins said:
Linux users are the computer equivalent of Vegans.
Click to expand...
Completely and totally disagree. Vegans are a) wrong, and b) far too restricted.
Click to expand...
Indeed. I use Linux, and I have never even visited Vega. I know it's only 25ly away, but you know how it is, arranging someone to look after your pets and your house while you are away...
Click to expand...
I think that JH was referring to  Veganism, a strict version of  Vegetarianism. Weakened versions of it are  Semi-vegetarianism.

Here is an approximate hierarchy of what they forbid:
  • Livestock (always a no-no)
  • Poultry, seafood
  • Milk, eggs
  • Honey
  • Root vegetables
  • Fruits, nuts, seeds (always OK)
 
lpetrich said:
bilby said:
Indeed. I use Linux, and I have never even visited Vega. I know it's only 25ly away, but you know how it is, arranging someone to look after your pets and your house while you are away...
Click to expand...
I think that JH was referring to  Veganism, a strict version of  Vegetarianism. Weakened versions of it are  Semi-vegetarianism.

Here is an approximate hierarchy of what they forbid:
  • Livestock (always a no-no)
  • Poultry, seafood
  • Milk, eggs
  • Honey
  • Root vegetables
  • Fruits, nuts, seeds (always OK)
Click to expand...

Oh, I see. I assumed that he was referring to Vegans, the inhabitants of the Vega star system.

It's not clear to me what their dietary choices are, or even whether the system contains life, or even a habitable planet or other body. But in context I felt it was the best inference to draw. Either that, or I was attempting humour - but the evidence against that possibility is overwhelming.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom