Wouldn it be better to call the system “Linux” and teach people its real origin with a ten-minute explanation?
If you help us by explaining to others in that way, we appreciate your effort, but that is not the best method. It is not as effective as calling the system “GNU/Linux”, and uses your time inefficiently. It is ineffective because it may not sink in, and surely will not propagate. Some of the people who hear your explanation will pay attention, and they may learn a correct picture of the system’s origin. But they are unlikely to repeat the explanation to others whenever they talk about the system. They will probably just call it “Linux”. Without particularly intending to, they will help spread the incorrect picture. It is inefficient because it takes a lot more time. Saying and writing “GNU/Linux” will take you only a few seconds a day, not minutes, so you can afford to reach far more people that way. Distinguishing between Linux and GNU/Linux when you write and speak is by far the easiest way to help the GNU Project effectively.
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