A Paradigm shift: A change in the basic assumptions, or paradigms. A shift in the distinct concepts or thought patterns in epistemological context. That is to say, new premises.
All my life I've been a hard working Linux user. I tried to maintain my OS, keep up with my optimizations. But recently my attitude towards computing changed greatly. It was a slow change, spread over a year; but change I did. Before starting to explain what I am talking about I should say that there is no better way of doing things, there is only doing.
Anyway, I believe there are two different main paradigms in desktop Linux world. One that forces user to create his (or her) own system; and one that which does not, like Ubuntu. I used to hate Ubuntu, it was restricting, always dictating how my system should be (at least I saw it like that), and fixed releases, what a chore. And I used to love Arch. Building the system from the beginning, patching packages you want to patch, mixing things you want to mix. Having total control over you system is, I must agree, a special kind of technological high, even if there is no Snow Crash like drug is involved. But I guess I am getting older now. Work takes almost all my time, reading new legislations, new cases, writing essay, reading and commenting essays... I noticed that I don't have time to tinker with my system. Recently I was even becoming afraid that my system would break with that new update. My system was great, I had lovingly created it up from the command line and used it for years; but as I said, priorities change.
Nowadays I hardly want to use Arch, or something similar. I've been using Ubuntu for a while now and against what everyone things, I kind of liked Unity. But I were using a deeply customized Gnome 3 with Arch so I am hardly a judge of GUIs. Clearly, I am not one of the majority when it comes to GUIs.
I could muse a lot longer about merits of two different paradigms but this is a topic much visited in Linux world and I am sure everyone understands what I am saying here. So this is what I want to do: ask you a question. Did you went through a personal technological evolution of this kind? If you did, how and more importantly why it did happen? I would be very glad if you take time to comment on this.
Post Scriptum: As a side note, the reason I choose Ubuntu is that almost perfect feature called HUD. I use it almost constantly and it is great, at least I feel so.
