Is Windows use an addiction?

I am currently in the middle of compiling an article to do with Windows 8, UEFI and the fact that it might be hard to install Linux without accepting the Windows license agreement. That article will be released later this week.

The subject however got me thinking about Windows and it's users and whether breaking away from Windows is so hard for some people because they have an addiction.

I have copied the following text from the Alcoholics Anonymous website and I have been artistic with the use of the word Windows. The article in question is "Is AA for you?" and asks a series of question to determine whether you are an alcoholic or at risk of becoming one but I have spun this somewhat to determine whether you are overly dependent on Windows.

Is Linux For You 

Only you can decide whether you want to give Linux a try or if you think it can help you.

We who are in the Linux community came because we finally gave up trying to control our Windows use. We still hated to admit that we could never use Windows. Then we heard from other Linux members that we were sick. We found out that many people suffered from the same feelings of guilt, loneliness and hopelessness that we did. We found out that we had these feelings because we were sick with Windows.

We decided to try to face up to what Windows had done to us. Here are some of the questions we tried to answer honestly. See how you do. Remember, there is no disgrace in facing up to the fact that you have a problem.

Answer YES or NO to the following questions

Have you ever decided to stop using Windows for a week or so, but only lasted for a couple of days? 

Most of us in the Linux Community made all kinds of promises to ourselves and to our families. We could not keep them. Then we came to Linux and the Linux Community said: "Just try not to use Windows today." (If you do not use Windows today, you cannot get viruses today.)

Do you wish people would mind their own business about your Windows use -- stop telling you what to do? 

In the land of Linux we do not tell anyone to do anything. We just talk about our own Windows use, the trouble we got into, and how we stopped. We will be glad to help you, if you want us to.

Have you ever switched from one kind of Windows to another in the hope that this would keep you from getting viruses? 

We tried all kinds of ways. We made ourselves use Windows 8. Or just used Windows 7. Or we did not use Internet Explorer. Or only used Windows on weekends. You name it, we tried it. But if we tried any Windows software , we usually got viruses eventually.

Have you had to use Windows in the morning during the past year? 

Do you need Windows to get started? This is a pretty sure sign that you are not computing socially.

Do you envy people who can use computers without getting into trouble? 


At one time or another, most of us have wondered why we were not like most people, who really can just use a real operating system like Linux.

Have you had problems connected with Windows during the past year? 


Be honest! IT Experts say that if you have a problem with Windows and keep on using it, it will get worse - never better. Eventually, you will get viruses, or end up updating Windows for the rest of your life. The only hope is to use Linux.

Has Windows caused trouble at home? 


Before we came into Linux, most of us said that it was the people or problems at home that made us Windows. We could not see that updates just made everything worse. It never solved problems anywhere.

Do you ever try to get 'extra' memory because you do not have enough? 

Most of us used to have 'extra' before we started out if we thought it was going to be that kind of application. If applications were not served fast enough, we would go some place else to get more.

Do you tell yourself you can stop using Windows any time you want to, even though you keep getting viruses when you don't mean to? 

Many of us kidded ourselves into thinking that we used Windows because we wanted to. After we came to Linux, we found out that once we started to use Windows, we couldn't stop.

Have you missed days off work because of Windows? 

Many of us admit now that we called in sick lots of times when the truth was that we were reinstalling Windows for the umpteenth time.

Do you have blackouts? 

A blackout is when there are hours or days we cannot remember. When we came into Linux, we found out that this is a pretty sure sign of Windows problems.

Have you ever felt that your life would be better if you did not use Windows?
 
Many of us started to use Windows because Windows made life seem better, at least for a while. By the time we got into Linux, we felt trapped. We were using Windows to live and living to use Windows. We were sick and tired of being sick and tired.

What's your score?

Did you answer YES four times or more? If so, you are probably in trouble with Windows. Why do we say this? Because thousands of people using Linux have said so for many years. They found out the truth about themselves - the hard way.

Again, only you can decide whether you think Linux is for you. Try to keep an open mind on the subject. If the answer is YES, we will be glad to show you how we stopped using Windows ourselves. Just call us.

Linux does not promise to solve your problems. But we can show you how we are learning to live without Windows one day at a time. We stay away from that first boot. If there is no first one, there cannot be a tenth one. When we got rid of Windows, we found that life became much more manageable.

I just want to say that this is supposed to be a light hearted article and in no way do I take the serious issue of alcoholism lightly.

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If you are a Ubuntu user or think you might like to become one then why not visit my other blog "My Ubuntu Blog" (www.myubuntublog.com).