That doesn't work for stuff they buy on their own, which was what happened on my case.

Additionally any dude at the local PC store can help with configuration issues during warranty.

Or when their network goes tits up and the calldesk from the network provider only has support scripts for Windows or macOS.

For configuration you can help them with TeamView or something similar, usually parents don't go and buy printers or video cars without asking you if you are the one that is more technical.

But if you already ton't help them cleaning Windows and instead sending them to a store then sure let them continuing use Windows.

I am a Linux user and Free software supporter but I would never try to switch someone that is happy with his system, I am lazy and I hate taking responsibility for the system. (as an example a friend of mine fixed someone PC by reinstalling Windows but the sound would not work because of missing drivers (he did not had internet do find drivers) and he was suspecting of stealing the sound card or breaking the sound somehow... so yeah if you don't care send them to a store)

Exactly because I care to have a life outside work, and don't want them to have to depend on someone located 3000 km away, that I rather have them going to the local PC store.

Actually, yes my parents do buy stuff on their own, or by talking with friends of theirs, to whom Linux is that strange thing that some "university guys" use.

And to make it clear, it isn't a random PC store that does dirty tricks, just like many random car repair shops happen to do, rather something proper.

That is fine, I completely agree, you are not the "target" of this article, I would do the same.

That sounds like a lot more work to get the same desired result of no more support calls.

What exactly? Plugin an USB then opening Firefox on youtube and watching a video, then try to print something? Is this more work then reinstalling Windows, do all windows updates, reinstall all the apps, restore the data , each time something fishy starts happening and you are not sure if the computer was infected?

Installing Linux on your parents' computer and then having them give up and get support from a local store is less work for you than properly teaching them to use Linux before installing it on their computer and then providing support whenever they have issues.

It depends, i would not recommend this for all cases, as the article mentions it worked because this following things applied

1 you were already wasting your time when visiting the parents on fixing the computer

2 the parents were transitioned to the Linux cmpatible applications like Firefox,Chrome, VLC,

3 all the parents workflows were accounted for and were met by Linux

4 the switch is done to Ubuntu LTS and not some exotic distribution

5 training is done on how to accomplish the new workflows

If the conditions above do not apply then you should not attempt this, send them to a repair shop to format and reinstall their OS.

For some workflows that most parents do Linux is good enough, my parents only use the browser,FB and YT apps(on a tablet).

Regardless of whether these conditions apply, teaching your parents to use new software is more work than doing nothing.

It depends, if they only use a browser,solitaire,image viewer and video player then the Linux equivalent are very similar or better. If they use some exotic software then I agree with you.

But keep in mind that there are people that will have no idea that you changed the software, I was called by a neighbor to check why his laptop has no longer sound, somehow he muted Windows without knowing(maybe he hit some keyboard shortcut). With this low skilled people there is o retraining cost because their skill is already close to zero

If it's not always more work to retrain people with no tech skills than to not do it, will you retrain every such person in the country? You're already not doing it, so this won't increase your workload at all.

I am not a person that converts people to Linux, the entire thread was about when it is right to help a family member by installing Linux on their broken system, see above the conditions i think are the right one. The fact I could convert a random person to free software is not valuable enough to me to was 1 hour of my free time(yeah I am selfish).

That's my point. It takes an hour of time to convert someone to Linux. It takes 0 time to let them get their tech support from the local store. 1 hour is more than 0 work, even for a family member.

You also have to account for the fact that other people might think you're lazy or self centered because you don't want to spare some time to at least try to help them. Not saying that you're a bad person for refusing to provide free tech support, but your math is not entirely flawless.

Unless having a reputation for being lazy and selfless leads to more tech support calls, I think the math still works out on this being the least amount of work to get rid of tech support calls.

Whether this is a good idea or not is a separate question. Personally, I help my friends and family when I can.