Randall R Schulz wrote:
On Monday 25 December 2006 07:19, Mathias Homann wrote:
...
Now, imagine an internet where all users know what they're doing...
How much do you know about the fabrication and / or the internal function of these ordinary things or systems:
- Automobiles - Farms - Food production - Medicine - Bridges, Buildings and Towers - Highways - Printing - Telecommunications - Shoes - Electric Power - Potable Water - Sanitation - Fuel - and on and on and on and on...
Yes, and if any of those break or don't work, I need to get a service person and *pay* them for repairing it or making it work. For example, if I buy a new heating system for my house, that saves energy, I need specialists to put it in and configure it. If I want changes in my electric power or water system, I need some service person as well. If I don't want to spend this money, I have a lot to learn myself and have to put real effort in.
Shame on us! (By which I mean us programmers and software developers!)
I don't agree with that sentiment. How about: If someone buys a computer and/or needs a setup to use that "Internet thingy", he or she must either spend effort to learn it or pay money to buy the setup service. Thus, if you don't know how to install a Linux computer -- or a Windows computer, for that matter, go out to your friendly neighbourhood computer shop and ask them to do it for you, against money. Most of them are eager to sell you services, strange as it may sound -- it's more revenues for them than simply selling computer boxes. Thus the tip for those with setup and install trouble is: Buy service, just like you need to do with most of the other technologies that Randall cited above. Computing is not different to that. Why should it be? Joachim -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Joachim Schrod Email: jschrod@acm.org Roedermark, Germany -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org