First Time Rant

I created an account just to provide feedback. Then I read this forum (or whatever it’s being called) and I think my decision has already been made for me. I’ve been an avid user of Ubuntu for at least a decade now and 16 was the last “good” version in my opinion. With the switch in 18 away from Unity I figured, OK, change can be good, let’s give it a chance. Eventually I was able to work around the usability issues. I figured with 20 all would be fixed.

So, 20 comes out, I install it and … yeah… big disappointment. Stuff that I could at least do in 18 no long works in 20. I can’t copy stuff to the desktop. I can’t drag URLs to the desktop. Task bar does weird hide and appear things. And that’s just what has annoyed me today.

In all Ubuntu appears to be getting less and less use friendly instead of more. If the goal is a wider spread audience and more usage, then wrong direction. If instead it’s to be a niche OS that will never get the major players to develop for it, then success!

I was hoping this was still just growing pains, but apparently there seems to be a systemic problem that doesn’t seem to be a problem for those making the decisions.

Over the past few years I’ve found myself drifting more and more back to my backup machine which is running Windows. In the last few months I’m now back to Windows as my primary and Ubuntu as my backup and from the comments here and elsewhere apparently my future will be much more Windows focused.

Sorry if this somewhat rant/experience sharing is not in the right place, but I guess that alone is another sign of a problem… no apparent easy way to provide feedback.

Ubuntu… it was a fun experiment but time for me to move on. I hope to be proven wrong with 22, but I’m not expecting anything.

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You’ll be back… :slight_smile:

Seriously, though, have you tried other desktop environments? Maybe you are just uncomfortable with GNOME Desktop?

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Did you try the Ubuntu Unity Remix?

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Tony, can’t say that I’ll be back as I’ve got almost 40 years of experience in the computer field and have worked with many OSes over the years so I can be critical in the tools I use. When I first switched to Linux (Ubuntu flavor) it was due to what I saw as failings in other OSes. Now I feel they’ve caught up and perhaps even surpassed Ubnutu or that Ubuntu has slid backwards. Case in point, I was transferring files from my Ubuntu 20 machine to a Windows machine. In the past I’d plug in a USB drive drag files from the desktop to the drive and they would copy. No longer works. I can’t drag from a desktop. Now I have to copy the folder/file, go to the USB device window and press paste. Really? Why break a feature that worked? Also what used to be a couple of clicks to shut down and power off is now four clicks.

Sure all of these might be small nit pick points, but from a usability perspective, this is not friendly. I see it turning off potential future users, not enticing more to Ubuntu. It’s like the powers that be making decisions for Ubuntu forgot to consider usability.

I’m at the point in my career and life that I don’t feel the need to screw with every little add on/accessory/config file to get something to work in a logical way. I’d rather put my time into being productive instead of the care and feeding of the OS or simply just trying to figure out how some feature that should be intuitive, but isn’t anymore, works now. Another example… in Windows it can just auto update. No interaction on my part. Ubuntu? Nope. Sorry. You have to create an account on their service before auto updates can happen. Why? Again complete failure on the usability point.

This really disappoints me as through 16 it looked like Ubuntu was really heading down the right path of user friendliness with improvements in each version. Now, it’s taken a major u-turn.

I could try a different desktop or addons but again I want to get my work done, not baby sit an OS… and with each additional piece you introduce yet another element in the combination mix of trying to figure out why something else isn’t working.

You have to ask this to the GNOME people, Ubuntu has in fact developed the current implementation you see on your desktop completely from scratch, it is not perfect and not complete but the alternative to “nothing at all” as GNOME envisions it:

https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/nautilus/-/issues/158

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i got 2 rigs, named as playstation & workstation.
my primary computer my playstation has 'buntu on it while my secondary computer my workstation has windows on it for work reasons.

when i say playstation i do not mean gaming, what i mean is for doing all things i enjoy.
my windows workstation feeds my stomach literally speaking & my 'buntu playstation feeds my heart.

was pretty disappointed with fossa upon release & replaced 'buntu with 10 & vowed never to go back the 'buntu way but in a week i was missing 'buntu & was waiting for the 1st point release. when 20.04.1 was out said to myself am just gonna check it out & voila all my grievances with fossa 20.04 were ironed out with 20.04.1

am back with 'buntu on my primary computer like always, mucha gracias canonical :muscle:
i agree with TonyS, you will be back :wink:

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Use whatever works best for you. No one is going to blame you if the reasons why you decided to try Ubuntu are gone or no longer valid.

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Your “feedback” is badly misdirected.

Misdirected feedback is not useful. It is a waste of your time to write (and ours to read).

Please take a minute to learn which project(s) made the design decision(s) you don’t like, and please direct your feedback to the right place.

Please keep in mind that you were not Ubuntu’s customer. There is no revenue lost by your departure. You were a participant in the Ubuntu project. You can have a voice in the decisions…when you participate. Someday, when you return, consider greater participation so you have greater influence.

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There is no revenue lost, true. However if I am not alone in expressing my disappointment at the direction Ubuntu is going, then others may also decide to leave and at some point this would affect the Ubuntu future. I don’t “complain” for the sake of complaining but rather as I’m hoping someone who is directing the future actually listens and considers these issues. I would really like to stick with it as a primary OS and if there is a turn around in how these features are implemented I’ll be back to singing the praises. Until then…

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And perhaps that is just the point. I did search extensively for somewhere to provide “feedback”. This was literally the only place I could find where 1) I was able to do so and 2) where it said that the direction of Ubuntu is guided by this “group”. When companies are hiding behind web sites and not providing some reasonable way for customers (paid or not) to at least reach out, well that fosters the current situation where disappointment turns to frustration which turns to hate which leads to anger which leads to the dark side… and I don’t think we need another sith running around. But in all seriousness, the description of this particular sub forum did state that this was the “group” contributing to the guidance of Ubuntu. If that’s no longer the case then please consider changing the description.

And with that I’m going to step out as I get the feeling that no one here is interested in my musings/experience.

Thanks for reading (if you did).

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Seems fair to let the OP have the final word.