A thank you to the devs, forum staff, and team members...

[The_Great_Sephiroth]

I started using Linux in the mid 90's. Downloaded RedHat and replaced 98SE with it. Loved it, but too much depended on Windows back then, namely my gaming habit, so back to a clean 98SE install I went. I always kept Linux around though. Older machines which were so fast with Linux on them even though Windows was slow. It reminded me of the fun I had learning DOS2 on Atari, and then again with 6/6.22 on PCs. I liked the UIs better. Loved the central management for programs, the better file-systems and security it offered.

I migrated from RedHat to Debian in the late 90's because RedHat was getting bigger and Debian was Slim. I ran a TS2 and later TS3 server on one, and MANY classic game servers on another. Unreal, UT99, UnF, Infiltration, Half-Life: TFC, Half-Life: DMC, CS 0.6-1.5, and others. I tried Epoch and was in way over my head, but I liked the concept. I loaded that box with Debian as I was not well-to-do enough for building my own OS from source back then. I was also younger and a tad more shy than I am now.

Eventually systemd became a thing and I arrived here. For the most part I have loved Gentoo. Note sure it grants that much more speed over another distro unlike in the past, but it has been rock-solid stable and it is maintained well enough to have current software. You know all this if you're here though.

Throughout my experiences with Linux I have met and interacted with MANY people around the world. Most are friendly, but may only drop hints at what to do. I'm looking at you, Neddy. This is good because I had to learn, even if I was in a crunch and didn't have the time to do so. Others will hold your hand and guide you through whatever process it is. Still others are blunt and while they are helping, may come off as having an attitude, when they likely don't. Then there's the ones who constantly tease, annoy, and insult people asking for help. Thankfully they are in the minority.

A recent very negative experience with staff of another distro has had me abandon the distro completely and it got me to thinking. Sure, I may have bumped heads with a few of the team members here in the past, but the staff here has never harassed me, insulted me, or poked fun at something I didn't know when learning Gentoo. In fact, I don't see the staff being rude often, if ever, even if somebody deserves it. I wanted to thank the entire team for this. We all have bad days, we all get stressed when a deadline looms and something won't build or update, and we all have lives outside of the Linux world which can be devastating at times. I've been on here stressed out before, and the staff has always guided me to a solution, even if it is one I don't like because I failed to update in the past six months. Yeah, I've been called on that before and I deserved it. What can you do though, you KNOW you need to keep Gentoo updated!

So thanks to the Gentoo team. This OS is NOT an easy one to learn compared to RedHat, Debian, PCLOS, or others. People get stressed and do stupid things, but you've always been there to help.

Now, I got a stack of new laptops and since my normal desktop distro has been dumped due to the constant insults streaming from the staff, I am going to see about getting Gentoo on them. Here we go again...
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Ever picture systemd as what runs "The Borg"?

[NeddySeagoon]

The_Great_Sephiroth,

Thank you for taking the time to write.

I freely admit to trying to put the help just out of reach, so you are forced to learn a little and in the process, build your confidence to help yourself and maybe others.
I don't let my 'helpees' sink though, at least I don't think I do. You at least are still here :)

[Ralphred]

[The_Great_Sephiroth]

Neddy, I thought about doing that. Setting one laptop to the side, removing the batteries, and leaving it on AC power with a script that does an "emerge --sync" once a week. Then I come along at least once a month and update that one and when everybody brings theirs tot he office we plug them into the LAN and boom, easy update. I need to study that process though. I have never done it before, though it was discussed at one time.
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Ever picture systemd as what runs "The Borg"?