Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (2271 mails)
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Re: [SLE] SuSE indoctrination too early?
- From: Doug McGarrett <dmcgarrett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 16:00:51 -0400
- Message-id: <0HWW000KUCX2FP@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*****portion deleted************
>>
>This is fairly closely related, though it deals more with adults. I'd
>like some opinions on teaching adults with no computer training about
>Linux. We're talking, uneducated, low-income folks who need new jobs
>and new lives. I had a discussion with a guy who said outright that he
>thought it was crazy to try and teach them Linux. If they don't kow
>anything, what's the harm in teaching them about Linux. I mean KDE,
>like its MS counterpart, has a desktop, windows, menus, etc. In my
>personal experience, most of the skills translate rather easily. Any
>opposing views out there?
>
>--
>Don Parris Webmaster
>Matheteuo Christian Fellowship
>Charlotte, NC
>http://matheteuo.org/
>webdev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
I suspect that there are some unanticipated problems here. Software
installation is not quite as straightforward as it usually is in Win
XP, or Win 98. Also, the rapid turnover in Linux versions could
leave these folks behind fairly quickly, whereas you can probably keep
using XP for the next 3 or 4 years. I am not acquainted with how
"transparent" OO is to MS Office files, which everyone in the
business environment is forced to deal with. Ultimately, if these
people actually wind up in an office environment, they will almost
certainly be faced immediately with a pre-installed Windows system.
If they don't, why train them at all?
If you can establish a training environment somewhere, like a local
night school or library program or something, it would make more sense,
IMHO, to teach Linux to interested Windows users. I have been
playing with Linux since the early Slackware versions, but I would
take such a class if it were offered conveniently to me.
I may be wrong, but I foresee future versions of Windows being
available only on an annual subscription basis, with some strong
incentive, like file lock-out, to pay up, which would be an
excellent reason to learn Linux!
--doug
>>
>This is fairly closely related, though it deals more with adults. I'd
>like some opinions on teaching adults with no computer training about
>Linux. We're talking, uneducated, low-income folks who need new jobs
>and new lives. I had a discussion with a guy who said outright that he
>thought it was crazy to try and teach them Linux. If they don't kow
>anything, what's the harm in teaching them about Linux. I mean KDE,
>like its MS counterpart, has a desktop, windows, menus, etc. In my
>personal experience, most of the skills translate rather easily. Any
>opposing views out there?
>
>--
>Don Parris Webmaster
>Matheteuo Christian Fellowship
>Charlotte, NC
>http://matheteuo.org/
>webdev@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
I suspect that there are some unanticipated problems here. Software
installation is not quite as straightforward as it usually is in Win
XP, or Win 98. Also, the rapid turnover in Linux versions could
leave these folks behind fairly quickly, whereas you can probably keep
using XP for the next 3 or 4 years. I am not acquainted with how
"transparent" OO is to MS Office files, which everyone in the
business environment is forced to deal with. Ultimately, if these
people actually wind up in an office environment, they will almost
certainly be faced immediately with a pre-installed Windows system.
If they don't, why train them at all?
If you can establish a training environment somewhere, like a local
night school or library program or something, it would make more sense,
IMHO, to teach Linux to interested Windows users. I have been
playing with Linux since the early Slackware versions, but I would
take such a class if it were offered conveniently to me.
I may be wrong, but I foresee future versions of Windows being
available only on an annual subscription basis, with some strong
incentive, like file lock-out, to pay up, which would be an
excellent reason to learn Linux!
--doug
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