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Comment by welder | Hacker News Reader

The data [0] shows different. Most devs use Windows as a primary operating system, then Mac, then Linux last. I'm sure devs use Linux servers, but they don't use Linux as their primary OS. StackOverflow should ask the question differently.

Their own survey contradicts itself, saying the top 5 IDEs used include Visual Studio (32%) and Notepad++ (28%) which don't even run on Linux. How does that add up?

[0] https://wakatime.com/blog/51-wakatime-2021-programming-stats

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The sampling biases are _really_ important here, stated another way:

Of developers who use WakaTime, most use Windows.

Of developers who answer StackOverflow surveys, most use Linux.

These aren't contradictions.

Sure, but "Of devs who answer StackOverflow surveys, most use Linux" is just wrong. To prove it, add up some top IDEs used that don't even run on Linux [0]:

+ Visual Studio (32.15%)

+ Notepad++ (27.71%)

+ Xcode (10.53%)

= 70.39%

That leaves only 29% left for Linux, but they claim Linux usage is 40% [1].

Unfortunately, Linux is still 3rd in primary OS usage and this survey question is flawed.

[0] https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2022/#section-most-popular-t...

[1] https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2022/#section-most-popular-t...

People can select multiple editors, so you can't sum them like that. E.g. people on windows could use Visual Studio AND Notepad++. All this says is that at least 10% use Mac because xcode only runs on the Mac, and at least 32% use Windows.

Oh, all the questions accepted multiple answers? Ok makes sense now... then they can't add up to 100. Still the OS question is flawed because multiple answers means it's not their primary OS.

You can't add %'s like that - the question allowed users to select multiple values.

Yes, you can add percents like that because they share the same base. Thanks, that makes sense... accepting multiple values for a "what's your primary OS" question is the problem.

Edit: Sorry, I thought you meant only the OS question allowed multiple answers. You're right, makes sense they would allow multiple answers for IDE too.

Still, they shouldn't call it "primary OS" if multiple answers are treated with the same weight.

In two of my last companies I was given laptops with MS Windows. I only use them as network terminals to connect to the machines where actual development work is done. Does that make Windows the primary OS? I couldn't care less, but IT insists ...

Yeah... "More Developers Use Linux than Mac, Report Shows" is a pretty disingenuous take. "More developers use some combination of linux/macos/windows more than macos" maybe

What is this?

Time tracking software to ensure you're not browsing HN. I like seeing it because it cuts out all the guesswork of whether you should work there, turning it into a flat 'no, run away quickly'.

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