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It appears some people in the community just want to see me fail, but others just outright don't know what they are talking about. I want to put some claims about us ripping off others work to rest.

The fact is, we and other sites do have some crossover in content. This is impossible not to have, since we are interested in some of the same stuff and we are subscribed to the same mailing lists, following the same RSS feeds, same Twitter feeds and so on.

Recently there have been some baseless claims that I have been ripping off Phoronix. Due to posting about Mesa, but to make this very clear that is not true. I am subscribed to the exact same public mailing lists and I included a shot of it sat in my inbox to help:
image
That's only my personal email box, I also have our official gamingonlinux email inboxes with their own subscribed lists.

That led to further claims like this:
QuoteEveryone knows that Liam rips off every possible source but they give him a pass because he spends time for the linux gaming cause.

To make it really clear. Here's three articles right away showing how little I care about linking to Phoronix 1 - 2 - 3. Notice the very clear links to Phoronix. You will see in 99% of articles I clearly link to places that I either got the information from, or who inspired me to write about the subject.

As some more examples, the article I wrote about ditching SteamOS in favour of a normal distribution. You will see the very clear link in it to BoilingSteam as they inspired the article.

I could pull out a near endless list of our articles where we source people far and wide. Okay, so not nearly endless, but you get the idea.

Any regular reader of GOL will know we credit our sources in a very clear way. I am not afraid of linking to a source of information. Why would I be? I don't depend on revenue from every single page visit as we don't have adverts. I don't need to worry about sending you elsewhere with source links.

Then it leads me to this:
QuoteIf I was you I would NEVER waste your time on GamingOnLinux.com - Liam doesn't value "freedom of speech" and has no problem banning and censoring content which he deems contraversial or which personally pisses him off or rubs him wrong.

Trust me, you're far better off on a forum with no dictator like /r/linux_gaming or the Google+ group IMO.

Yes, we do ban people and remove content when it breaks our few short rules, or when you outright attack other people or me directly. GOL is not reddit, our website is not a safe haven for personal attacks to be made. Freedom of speech does not apply on a privately run website that prides itself on having a respectful community. Break our rules and we will deal with it, it's a simple thing to understand.
It's also funny, because a moderator of /r/linux_gaming replied to that post telling them "To disabuse you of that perception: Keep behaving like a twat and I'll ban you.". The moderators on /r/linux_gaming do a pretty good job!

No one is perfect and I sure as hell am not, but I am trying to do interesting stuff and dealing with people trying to discredit me is becoming more of a hassle. I will not give up, so don't worry about that. I just want to make sure that when people read stuff like that, not to believe it.

I also had to come to terms with the fact that other people will likely have the same sources as me, so to people like Phoronix who I have at times poked with "you didn't source us!" or some junk, I apologise.

Also, I recently became an Antergos convert, you should all try it. It's really great and surprisingly way more stable than Ubuntu has ever been for me.

Now, can we move on, stop claiming silly things and let me do the job my Patreon supporters pay me to do? Thank you <3 Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Editorial
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About the author -
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I am the owner of GamingOnLinux. After discovering Linux back in the days of Mandrake in 2003, I constantly checked on the progress of Linux until Ubuntu appeared on the scene and it helped me to really love it. You can reach me easily by emailing GamingOnLinux directly.
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36 comments
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HadBabits Jan 18, 2017
Just chiming in to say I've never doubted your integrity, Liam, and am happy to continue supporting you (both in spirit and my bit in the Patreon bucket ;)). From all accounts it can be murder to be in the public eye, wouldn't know myself, and despite the rougher times I think you've only gotten better at handling it :)

That said, I shan't be moved from my Linux Mint stoop 'till it catches fire :P
Gobo Jan 18, 2017
Quoting: liamdawe
Quoting: PicoboomOh, and Liam, about Antergos, I hope you'll write up a review once you've spent more time with it. With the upcoming changes to Ubuntu over the next couple of years, I'm anticipating I'll want to switch to another distro. I'll be interested in what you have to say.
I've been thinking on that very topic :)

Well, find an article about that and rip it off!

SCNR :)

Here we are in 2017 and our editing tools still lack even basic sarcasm tags...
tuubi Jan 18, 2017
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Quoting: GoboHere we are in 2017 and our editing tools still lack even basic sarcasm tags...
We don't need or want sarcasm tags. Just assume good faith, and take every joke at your expense as a friendly jibe. Would make the Internet lives of us sarcastic assholes a lot less stressful.

Seriously, you can't lose. Even if you're wrong and you're being trolled, just watch the troll get desperate when you fail to rise to the bait.
Guest Jan 18, 2017
Quoting: liamdawe.

The way i see it is this is your home. It would be rude of me to come in an start expecting you to behave differently ( although im sure some of us have family members who do exactly that! ). That said, if people don't like it then they have the 'freedom' to choose not to visit.

Keep up the good work. I do like the format much more than other Linux gaming sites.
Mohandevir Jan 18, 2017
100% behind you Liam. You are doing an awesome job!
Linas Jan 18, 2017
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Liam, I was about to comment that maybe this article wasn't necessary. (Maybe it wasn't after all) But then I read the comments on reddit and holy crap, I am with you. You are doing good and important work, and I will continue supporting you knowing that you deserve it. Don't let malicious people discourage you.
lagh Jan 18, 2017
Why do you even react to that bullshit?
These claims are ridiculous.
manus76 Jan 18, 2017
Surely, bickering, fighting and fragmentation is what linux (gaming) community really needs...There must be some grand strategical idea behind this that i'm completely unable to fathom.
Liam Dawe Jan 18, 2017
Quoting: laghWhy do you even react to that bullshit?
If I don't, this is how myself and GOL end up being recognised in the wider community, because these assholes get upvoted continuously until I refute their claims. In short, it would be a disaster for relations.
rodvil Jan 18, 2017
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This is my only source of gaming information so I really appreciate that you cover important issues and news, even if they were covered before somewhere else. I don't read somewhere else!
And I feel you always mention your sources and link to them. I even discovered most of these other places, that I don't visit regularly, because of GOL.
Keep up the great work!
lagh Jan 18, 2017
Quoting: liamdawe
Quoting: laghWhy do you even react to that bullshit?
If I don't, this is how myself and GOL end up being recognised in the wider community, because these assholes get upvoted continuously until I refute their claims. In short, it would be a disaster for relations.
Yeah you are right. The comment of mine was a little bit short sighted. That is why
I'll keep supporting you, for the bigger picture ;)
Uncleivan Jan 18, 2017
I use antergos as well in 4 months i used the terminal for the sensors command only. Its that out of the box; NVIDIA drivers and kernels are updated automaticly.
numasan Jan 18, 2017
Liam, you have build something great and the vast majority of us are thankful for that. I am sorry to hear about trolls who attack your character, and the internet can be awful like that, but they are just lowlife trolls with no accomplishments. Glad to hear that it doesn't get to you, and keep doing what you do, even if you had to spend time on this article. Thank you!
Luke_Nukem Jan 18, 2017
Quoting: liamdawe
Quoting: BeamboomThat said, I do agree that you've been a tad too thin skinned in the past. That seems to have become a lot better now though, something that I personally appreciate.
Oh trust me, I have an entire roll of tinfoil and duct tape covering my entire body that no silly words will penetrate.

Tinfoil is kinda thin and easy to rip... I suggest getting fitted with a fat-suit or something rubbery.

:D
cue58 Jan 19, 2017
Sorry if this is a bit of a controversial opinion, but who really cares if people "rip off" information from each other.
Who gets hurt when journalists borrow info and articles from each other? Is it the readers? No.
The only source that matters is the original source, I really don't care if secondary sources get credit just for being "first".
Information is information, it doesn't belong to anyone. People only want you to think that to protect their own selfish interests, because the only way to own information is to keep it a secret.

Not every site is a collection of articles for gaming, are we supposed to not spread gaming news to readers of a gaming news site just because another (probably non-gaming specific) site reported on it?
It's just silly, and honestly I have a really low opinion of anyone who gets worked up over that.

Of course, I know you haven't been "ripping off" information anyway. I'm just saying that I personally wouldn't care even if you were. The direct sources are all that matters. Beyond that you could copy-paste from secondary sources all you want and not give them any credit at all for all I care.


Last edited by cue58 on 19 January 2017 at 8:52 am UTC
Nezchan Jan 19, 2017
Quoting: liamdawe
Quoting: laghWhy do you even react to that bullshit?
If I don't, this is how myself and GOL end up being recognised in the wider community, because these assholes get upvoted continuously until I refute their claims. In short, it would be a disaster for relations.

I think it's also a matter for the wider Linux reporting and blogging community. For all the gains of Linux, we're still a relatively small pond. So if it weren't GoL catching this heat, sooner or later it'd be one of the other sites. Letting this sort of thing stand uncorrected isn't good for the Linux community as a whole.
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