On Fri, Mar 02, 2001 at 06:42:24AM -0600, Jerry Kreps wrote:
However, Linux is moving as fast as it's army of coders can move it into the rodent driven GUI world. In that world no particular technical expertise is required besides knowing how to point and click and where the nearest help desk is located for the more complicated procedures (Help! my kernel paniced! what does that mean?) See below
That is what we should avoid. I am all for making computers easy and accessable, but I do not think that we should reduce users to drooling, mouse-clicking idiots. Microsoft does that because it allows them to retain control over their users. We as Open Source/Free Software developers and advocates should rise above that.
That's the point! Julia and many other newbies, not all, DON"T HAVE the technical background to become 'proficient' in Linux as you seem to think they must. I've had a computer in my home since 1978 and my wife has only recently learned how to turn it on and run the browser and email. My wife is not stupid, but she doesn't have the training or interest to become technically literate. I showed her how to point an click. She's happy. That ALL she needs to know. I can guarantee that the recent Zip100 problem would have sent her to Windows or off the computer all together had she been required to tackle it alone.
I know that hardware trouble can be frustrating, and you are probably right in that many newbies probably would throw in the towel. I disagree with your assesment of users though. Users may not have a technical background, and they really don't need one. They just need to be able and willing to learn new things.
If the Linux desktop doesn't become as user friendly in both installation and maintanence as WinXX is *percieved* to be (and it's there for many hardware configurations and in the hands of folks like you and I) then the KDE and GNOME folks are wasting their time.
Again, I have to disagree. Making a computer accessable and easy to use is a worthy goal, and I don't think that we should base the success or failures of our desktop projects on how well they can imitate the Win32 GUI.
Julia has no reason to become a technically proficient computer user, as much as that would help her. She has a life. Linux is no making the PROMISE that she can user her computer with all the ease that WinXX offers. Except for her samba problem that may be true, but if she can't get samba to work then Linux is not the OS for here. JLK
I do think that there is a lot of hype out there, and that is unfortunate. Hoever, new users should gain a certain level of technical proficiency. Julia herself claimed that a computer was a tool. Well, guess what... We use tools everyday, and we all had to learn how to use them at one time or another. Why should a computer be any different? - v -- Victor R. Cardona vcardona@home.com "Behold the keyboard of Kahless, the greatest Klingon code warrior that ever lived!"