Unix/Linux is Inherently More Secure

1. The concept of "user permissions" stops users from damaging the system itself.
2. The concept of the "file system" means that files are saved in particular places and users can only write in their "HOME" directory. This keeps everything much more organized.
3. Linux is an open source version of a Unix operating system. Because it is open source, people around the world can pour through the code, spot weaknesses, fix them, and announce their fixes. Unlike Microsoft, where security bugs are ignored for years on end, the open source system is self correcting.

Avoid the "dumbing down" of modern computing

As Apple and Microsoft seek to sell new machines, they redesign to suit people who don't yet have computers. That means they make changes to suit the neophyte, and (just from my experience) frustrate the experienced user. Unix/Linux systems are less prone to these unnecessary changes. While things do not always stay exactly the same, you don't get so pissed off because Linux is a free system for which you don't have to pay. It constantly irks me that I have to go fix bugs in Microsoft systems for which we have paid.

See my essay

After a few months of using Linux, I wrote an essay for the Political Methodologist called "Live Report from Linux Land". I've still got it online here: http://pj.freefaculty.org/linux/Linux.html

-- PaulJohnson - 07 Dec 2002