On Monday 02 June 2003 02:11, Ben Rosenberg wrote:
* Anders Johansson (andjoh@rydsbo.net) [030601 16:41]:
->> Knowing a thing or two about the /ever present/ standard text processor ->> tools is usefull too, if only to give them a feel for the power of these ->> tools for future uses. -> ->For most regular users there are not now, nor will there ever be a time ->when sed, awk of vi is useful. This is why companies have admins. -> ->It is extremely detrimental to the "linux on the desktop" movement to ->include this type of material in "luser" classes. It scares people away.
I'd have to agree with Anders on this point. When I was working at SuSE in Oakland the secretary used Linux on her workstation and rarely had an issue that I remember. She used Netscape, StarOffice and many other programs. I doubt she ever opened a terminal client the whole time she was working there. She got along fine with what she was given to work with. I can't speak about other secretaries in other companies because the other companies I've worked for had them using Windows.
To some extent that is true. However, it would inappropriate to send that secretary to Linux course. Instead you send her to a KDE course. As others have said in various posts, if they behave that way with Windows it will be the same with Linux. That is, if they don't care what the OS is called and just want to do their job, then they are out of place in a Linux course.
For the most part the IT people in the company should know all of these things so they can remote admin the machines...but secretaries, sales people, marketing people and the like shouldn't know anymore then the apps they need to do their jobs. If they are using terminal clients to input data like I've seen at the Toyota dealer I go to ..then teach them that application. But I wouldn't work at a place where these types of people had root or the ability to edit anything that would need vi or emacs. Hell, some of the developers I work with now scare me in this respect and they are suppose to *know* WTF they're doing. ;)
Then you are not teaching them Linux. You are teaching them how to use a particular app or a particular GUI. Then I agree that teaching them sed, awk and vi would probably scare them away. On the other hand, if you are teaching them Linux, then I must agree with Theo that they are necessary parts. regards, jimmo -- --------------------------------------- "Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are." -- John Wooden --------------------------------------- Be sure to visit the Linux Tutorial: http://www.linux-tutorial.info --------------------------------------- NOTE: All messages sent to me in response to my posts to newsgroups, mailing lists or forums are subject to reposting.