Too many versions:

Linux is pretty neat (I tried Mint), but it still has too many quirks in it for non programmers like me. I ran into problems with an unresponsive command line. Grrrr .. Why can't I just install something without all this wish wash ? Also, if I'm spending too much time tweaking / learning, it takes time away from me (or you) that could otherwise be more productive. I would like to see Microjunk get beat up, but to do that, we need to treat it kind of like a war. Linux goes in too many different directions (flavors). An example might be what happened to Germany during WWII. Lucky for us, they went in too many directions and lost. 10 different distros might be okay, but you have to really start Working Together or you'll never really win that war. The big shots like that. They're laughing at us. We can't have that. Lets work together and kick butt.

Please think before replying with a snotty answer. Being kind is part of working together. Thanks

it doesnt really matter to me that i use an os that isnt very popular (or a distro that isnt very popular among other gnu/linux users) -- my car isnt a very popular brand either. i got into a groove into what i do and my computer tasks are pretty efficient.

i also use ms-windows for work but i dont consider myself a traitor.

I don't want GNU/Linux to become really popular -- it would just mean that we would become a more attractive target for malware & virus writers; as it is now we're just not worth the bother...

For the average user yes it may be difficult but for servers no one is really competing.
Try googling "Who uses linux" & see what you find.

linux servers are a (more than windows ?) popular target for crackers/black hats. chinese gmail hax0rz, home depot, heartbleed, ...

Ok...who picks which Linux gets to be _the_ Linux and on what criteria?

Once you've done some more learning and getting comfortable with how some Linux systems work, you'll find your productivity soars compared to Windows. You have learned one specific work pattern of operating a tightly-controlled system - now it's time to see how much better it is to work within a system you are able to control to your own liking.

Yes, it takes some work and some learning and making some mistakes along the way. But if you eventually get there, I assure you you won't turn back!

Your post is wasted here as this is just one of many Linux forums where volunteers try to help others who want to use Linux and no on here has any control over Linux distributions. If you want to actually limit the number of distributions, what you need to do is to convince Linus Torvalds to set limits on it as he is the only one who owns the Linux Trademark. Possibly charging a modest fee for the use of the Linux Trademark, maybe $1million USD would work. Of course, that won't change the distributions already in existence.

Stop me if you've heard this one before:

http://xkcd.com/927/

BTW, the fact that you just compared Linux to Nazi Germany was not lost on me.

While most Windows users might think there is a war going on between operating systems, I don't think very many seasoned Linux users think that way at all. Instead, they generally like all the different options available to them. I personally wouldn't like having just one OS, one Linux, one brand of automobile, television, mobile-phone, ice-cream, or just one of many different things. Having competition and plenty of options should make everything better and keep more people happy, although I do fully understand how a company such as Microsoft might enjoy being the only OS on the planet.

Just one sounds like a really bad idea to me.

What makes you think "they are laughing at us" and exactly who is "us"? Most of those crazy ideas come from bored newswriters needing to inject some drama into an otherwise boring event. I see this opinion all of the time and I can't for the life of me understand why, similarly, people don't also quip "There are just too many car models...". Maybe you're just young and caught up in whatever testosterone driven "OK simply put, "what is Best?" "Chevy vs/ Ford" "I r0x, U sux" syndrome. Competition is good for Consumers. It's only hated by Producers.

Let whomever wants to fight, fight, and enjoy the fallout. All it expects of you to do so is that you're also not one of the "TLDR" crowd.

This is all very well as long as I don't have to pay a "Microsoft tax" when buying a laptop (that situation is horrible in the UK; a little better in Italy) and as long as you are never required to use some proprietary document format. If that becomes the case then by all means, live and let live.
jdk

Personally, I think that one of the great strengths of Linux ... a very, very unique strength ... is that you do have "a choice." The components of any Linux system are loosely coupled.

What the "distro" writers are really doing, is conveniently packaging-up different combinations of those inherent choices. But, "the thing that they are all packaging-up" is still "Linux."

This natural process of friendly-competition is part of what helps keep Linux on a sharp cutting-edge. "There's More Than One Way To Do It,™" and Linux is always reminding you of that.

Also, IMHO, Linux is never actually "competing with" Windows or OS/X. Operating systems co-exist. It's impractical to switch your operations from one to another, and so it never really happens. (Plus, there's really no return-on-investment in doing so.) Linux is not lacking for "awareness" nor "popularity" anymore. (Especially when you recall that Android is Linux.) There's no battle to be fought here.