As an old-timer, going through this thread, I must say that there's just not enough hate for the whole Windows/Mac OS inclination to not want to let users be experimental.

Everyone here is sort of caught up in this weird middle ground, where you're expecting an environment that is both safe and experimental -- but the two dominant Oses do EVERYTHING THEY CAN to kill the latter, which, funny enough, can also make the former worse.

Do not forget, for years you have been in a world in which Apple and Microsoft do not want you to have any real power.