I'll go with Distorwatch's logo "Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD". Yes, both coding and IT administration. It's not required though.

The real problem is what users are presented with first. Linux is much more simple than Windows, but has a different structure and feels alien to Windows users.

I use FreeBSD too. It's a great system, but not as compatible with hardware as Linux.

I'll add my voice to the "no" camp.

It reminds me a hilarious The Lone Gunmen's episode...

That's what happened to me, at least. I was not afraid of the terminal, but the way Windows is usually "click here, stuff happens" was still ingrained. Having to supply arguments for all the things was a bit confusing at first, but "command" --help and man "command" dealt with that. It's more a mental shift than anything outrageously complicated.

For me it always comes down to one simple equation, is the learning something new, lower conpatability, fewer games running natively etc. Worth the ability to dump windows. I just never have the time, the few hours I get on the computer nowadays I just want to play some games. Sure all the virtual platforms at work are Linux backend, it just from a home perspective it's not viable.

The important stuff:

1. Security.
2. Stability.
3. Frequent updates.

Well, to be honest it's because Windows 10 has nothing to really offer and more to the point, seems to have less to offer with each update.

I use Fedora 28 specifically because the backing of RHEL/Red Hat means I can know that I have a stable, mature foundation upon which the entire operating system is built upon, instead of one of the many popcorn *Buntu variants. Secondarily, I use Fedora because the update process is completely sane. This morning I updated my dad's partition of Mint. It's still running the 4.15 kernel, which was released in February (I'll note, that is the latest available, with them backdated to 4.4 if you're insane.). Just on the 23rd, Fedora updated for the 4.17 series Kernel.

As for other reasons, being able to choose what desktop environment I want, in what theme I want, with everything being as dark as the abyss of space, that's a pretty nice advantage too.

FOSS software can be found in most OS spheres so that's a lesser advantage, but the simple fact remains that there's just so many more choices, including (if I must) building from source. Which is largely automated.

That sums up the other problem I have with Linux, ask 5 Linux users what the best distribution + desktop and you will end up with 50 different answers.

The only answer the matters is the one coming from the person who will help you with the issues you come across. I picked up my interest in computers from my dad at a young age (he grew out of it, I did not). Starting with DOS probably helped me not develop a fear of the command line :)

However, I had a sour taste about Linux from my first attempts to use it (i.e. hard-locking on live CDs) and my prompt to actually start using it was my friend wanted to try it.. and I wanted to be able to help him.

Considering in my local circle and at work, I am the person people come to, that's not very helpful. Limited time means it's easier to whack in win10 and forget it. On the previous machine some years back I dual booted win7 and mint, was ok, but to play half the stuff I would of had to use wine or something, just easier to boot the win machineand just play the damn thing.

I dislike Linux. I do use it, I bought two laptops recently, very cheap, for running Firefox pretty much. Or that has been the use so far, my idea was to basically have computers with working batteries in case I need them.
When taking them out of the boxes I dug in and took out the mass memory board thing, the computers did come with Win10 licenses on the memory boards (I really don't remember what they are called, and there is no connector for HDD at all) but those went back into the boxes. I run Linux from memory cards.
A regret with my new computers is that I didn't buy four of them. Next time, in some years, then...

As far as games go I have installed and tried Stardew Valley and Tabletop Simulator.

I absolutely despise Firefox but it comes with Mint so... I have had no energy to look at anything else. I pretty much hate all the things. I have very little interest in computers anymore. My old computers, eight years old for the most recent, are staying as they are.

Oh, right. I also have Raspberry Pis and have ran the default OS sometimes, to look at internet. Very little interest there too.

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Likewise. On the other hand: the internet.

Until it updates in the background and drops you into a reboot loop whenever you next start it up to do something, of course :)

I had this issue too. Dual-booting Windows and Linux meant I just ended up in Windows most of the time, because games and the overhead of switching was too high.

Windows went away for a while and I used Linux exclusively (at home) for a few years. Now it's back, but with some VT-d magic, I now have them both running simultaneously. Very useful for testing multi-platform code and playing Windows exclusive games!

I use it because I didn't like the direction MS took with Win8 and even worse W10. Linux is privacy friendly.

Linux can scale to your hardware's needs. Last week a customer brought me a single core / 2GB DDR2 laptop with a sticker that had the "Designed for Windows XP" underneath, that "belongs in a museum" right? I Installed Xubuntu 18.04 on it which barely took 350MB Ram, boots quite fast and it's using modern software. - Can't do that with Windows.

It gave me a better understanding of computers, I'm not a coder but I learned how to compile from source, I learned how to better use the terminal and combine commands.

Has the largest possibility of customizations.

I get my work done faster in Linux, many tools are readily available out of the box and anything extra is just a few clicks away.

That's one thing I can agree on win10 updating every 2 minutes sometimes for a long time or just chucking you out if it feels it is time to make an update. Really preferred the older days of get an image, then get the service packs, then it's just the odd hotfix. Just feels like they are forever updating now. Might just setup a cheap laptop with win10 on for internet stuff and have the main gaming machine totally offline.