Periodic reports, Linux and User Agents (lemmy.world)

submitted 8 months ago by mypasswordis1234@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/10615572

Hello,

I've been using GNU/Linux as my primary operating system for several years. Every year, various websites release statistical reports on their users, detailing the operating systems they use.

I've noticed that many privacy add-ons spoof the User Agent to make the browser appear as if it's on Windows. Despite using GNU/Linux, my browser presents itself as if it were on Windows 10.

My dilemma is whether I should switch the User Agent to Linux. By spoofing, I'm potentially decreasing the statistics for Linux in these regular reports, which might lead to Linux not being taken seriously due to a falsely low userbase.

However, on the flip side, pretending to be on Windows helps reduce my web fingerprint. What are your thoughts on this?

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[-] rollmagma@lemmy.world 10 points 8 months ago

No one cares. Adoption of operating systems in the real world is not done based on popularity charts. Those only serve for memes and flamewars.

this post was submitted on 12 Jan 2024

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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