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Add to SafariWhen comparing DistroTube vs Luke Smith, the Slant community recommends Luke Smith for most people. In the question“What are the best Youtube channels for Linux content?” Luke Smith is ranked 1st while DistroTube is ranked 4th. The most important reason people chose Luke Smith is:
He's not a programmer, or someone who particularly enjoys using computers, so he doesn't focus on the latest tools or computing fads. The channel is almost exclusively about what he finds helpful when doing his work.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro He is very helpful and friendly youtuber dedicated to the GNU+Linux community
Pro Covers a variety of Linux topics, and focuses mostly on different distros
Pro Publishes content about new, lesser-known, and alternative software, including usage and configuration
DistroTube is a great place to go to discover interesting and useful pieces of software or to discover alternatives to software you already have. Beginners to GNU/Linux will appreciate the in-depth videos on how to use and configure different pieces of software.
Pro Approaches computing as a means to an end
He's not a programmer, or someone who particularly enjoys using computers, so he doesn't focus on the latest tools or computing fads. The channel is almost exclusively about what he finds helpful when doing his work.
Pro Amazing tutorials
It is possible to learn a lot from Luke.
Pro Concise, up to the point
No rambling and not too much proselytism.
Pro Great sense of humor
Pro Memes
Pro He is a good human
Not like some other YouTubers who beg for subscribers, he does his work genuinely.
Pro Efficient
He makes every task more efficient for himself and shares the tricks and tips. Always works in order to make his system less bloated. He won’t share everything, he will show you stuff and give you ideas but you may have to learn a lot from other sources to be able to implement it.
Pro Ubuntu hater
Cons
Con Heavy on opinions, very light on why they're held
Good op-ed coverage doesn't just state opinions, it educates you as to why those opinions are well-founded.
Con Turning into Luke Smith
His content is becoming more like Luke's, who is the worst role model to follow in all of video sharing.
Con Anyone using Distrotube as a legit source is delusional
The guy just isn’t well informed or smart about anything. And he has randomly dissed enough people in the community that no one really likes him. Even the super friendly gang at BDLL and laid back guys like English Bob actually DESPISE Distrotube, because he will just randomly criticize people out of nowhere.
Also, the dude gives off a weird vibe. Like a restrained anger of some sort. Hard to put into words, but it wouldnt surprise me if Derek made the news for some crazy action.
Con Doubles down on terrible takes in a variety of areas, oddly self-referential
One of the worst Linux resources out there. He basically comes up with a simple opinion on something, phrases it at an 8th grade reading level, and repeats it over and over until the video ends. His takes on topics range from uninformed at best, to horrifyingly wrong at worst. He also posts very strange self-focused videos, like playing trombones, himself at the gym, talking about craft beers, as if we are supposed to value him as a friend instead of a Linux resource.
He also joins a lot of Youtubers in the "a lot of you have been asking me" Club. When a Youtuber says that, you know exactly ZERO people have been asking them, and they just want to talk.
Also, he either started or continued the tradition of filling every corner of the screen with kitchy Linux stuff like Matrix screen savers and branded mugs. He apparently even loves his audio mixer so much that he mounted that behind him so we always see it. A three monitor workstation with 2-3 camera mounts? For a Linux Youtube channel? That's sort of like delivering pizzas in an Imperial Star Destroyer.
Con Hypocrisy
In some videos, complains about toxicity in Linux community. Then in another video is toxic towards opensource projects he doesn't like.
Con Heavily political
He is a conservative, and occasionally brings said rightist politics into his videos.
Con Not technical / in depth enough
Con Level of Linux knowledge very low, not a lot of worthwhile content
Even a slightly advanced beginner will find nothing of value here.
Con Pace too slow
The pace would be more tolerable, if the material was covered more in-depth.
Con Extremist FOSS zealot
If you're not a FOSS "zealot" you can find his thoughts very extreme and sick.
Con Condescending, opinionated talk
Con Holds opinions that are contrary to Linux ethos
Opinions expressed in non Linux related videos are often extreme and discriminatory, in antitheses of the free and open source philosophy that surrounds Linux and software related to it.
Con Political
Con Decent Linux content is contaminated with toxic 4Chan memes
Hard to understand why a smart, introspective guy like Luke Smith undercuts his content by including all the 4Chan memes and obvious appeals to the most toxic elements of the audience. It seems to be like a bad habit for him, because he will make long form content and commentary on something interesting, then undermine it by putting 4chan thumbnails or catch phrases all over it.
Con Political
Con Ubuntu hater
