About For Linux Users

Why are we here? Why are you here?

Why a Linux publication on Medium? Honestly, I ask myself that question from time to time, too. However, when I went looking on Medium, I didn’t see one place where this kind of information appeared, so I decided to create it.

What kind of information? Tips and reviews for people who actually use Linux as a desktop OS — at least. Sure, sometimes there is a server or a Raspberry Pi, or some Android stuff lurking around, but when you sit down at your PC to write an e-mail or a document, are you running Linux? If the answer is yes, then 4LU — that’s us — is talking to you.

Who Am I?

I’ve been using Unix and Linux since the mid 1980s. I’ve been writing about technology even earlier than that. If you are old enough to remember the CDP1802 newsletter QuestData, I contributed to that. I also wrote a lot of Dr. Dobb’s Journal, as well as other similar magazines like Web Techniques and Visual Developer which had been PC Techniques. I’ve written a bunch — and I do mean a bunch — of books on all aspects of computers and electronics technology. Speaking of electronics, I write for Hackaday and if you are looking for more technical Linux content, you ought to check out my Linux-Fu series over there

Talk Back

Of course, this is a publication, so now that is it off the ground, feel free to contribute. Drop a comment if you’d like to be added as an author. Ground rules are simple:

• Must be about Linux from a user’s point of view. A little shell scripting is OK, but the post shouldn’t be about shell scripting in most cases.
• Normal “well written” guidelines apply. We reserve the right to make edits.
• We will take your already published story if you like, but eventually, I will stop doing that as it pushes you down in the list and is a low-value proposition for everyone. Prefer unpublished drafts. We also prefer behind the paywall stories, because curation is good for both of us.
• Look at the other articles for format ideas. Title, subheading, cover photo. Use subheadings. Make use of section breaks, if appropriate.
• All Medium rules are in force. Please don’t plagiarize. Please have rights to use your photos, etc.

While we focus on Linux, it is OK to submit things that Linux users might use, for example Gmail or other online apps. Software that works across platforms like GIMP, Chrome, etc. are fine too. If your article focuses on WSL or Cygwin, great! We consider them Linux, too.

Write for For Linux Users

Want to write for us? Leave a comment below or leave a private note if you prefer. We’ll add you and you can submit stories to the publication. If we accept them, we may do light editing.

Feedback

Finally, I’ll mention something I say a lot. What’s the most important thing you need to have a successful fishing trip? Fish! I’ve worked with a lot of publications over the last 30 years and I can tell you that no publication can succeed without readers. That’s you. If you have suggestions or comments, we will be glad to hear your thoughts. If you are a Linux user, then 4LU is for YOU. It is right there in the title!

— Al Williams