Re: My contribution (only the Knode issue)

On Sat, Mar 6, 2010 at 6:22 PM, Les <hlhowell@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi, Craig,
       While those of us who use lots of applications may be familiar with the
general concepts and will prowl a bit to get the right combination,

And since there is so much energy wasted on different projects, the
right combination often ends up being the "best" combination, which is
often far from ideal.

Then, tell me, are you an expert in photo and video editing software,
in databases, spreadsheets, voice mail, etc.? Wouldn't it be nice if
there was a default repository where you could find applications to,
at least, get you started conveniently?

those who use computers only for a task just what to know how to do the
things they need to do.

This is no way unfair.

Not caring about those people is unfair to Linux users. You end up
with 18 months old motherboards whose only BIOS option is entering the
password. That's if you're lucky. If the newbie uses one of those "fun
little distro" as LinuxMint or Ubuntu, he might end up to a blank
screen and, then, it will be "Linux doesn't work!"

It's a vicious circle. Less people use Linux because it doesn't work
and Linux doesn't work because less people use it.

Userfriendlyness is in no way a combat between geeks and newbies. In
all applications, you can offer a second level of configuration for
geeks with a warning to newbies.

       The point is, though, that for the computer to be useful, it must meet
the needs of the users, not the developers.  It is a vital distinction.
A good engineer listens to this kind of feedback and tries to come up
with a solution.

A foolish manager will denigrate this kind of input, and loose
credibility with both staff and customers, as well as doom his product,
whatever it might be, to obscurity.  I've worked for or with some of
those from time to time, and it is an exercise in design and engineering
futility.

Shit, I almost cry reading this common sense. Maybe it would be
instructive to know you better. Are you a geek or a "suit"? Who did
you work for? Can you tell us more about real case scenarios?

       And to be honest, good documentation is a major weakness in Linux on
all fronts, from the OS itself, to the utilities.  There are not enough
books and not enough well written on-line tutorials to really help the
novice, and those that do exist don't seem to ever be updated (except
for the Wiki's).

Sometimes, the right information is there but amongst so much
(hopefully) well intentioned, but badly written information that you
have a hard time getting to it. Then, somebody who knows the answer
provides the right keywords and pretends that "Google is your friend".
Of course, the eternal RTFM motto, with nothing understandable to
newcomers, also drives newbies mad.

See how Daniel J. Barrett explains basic commands in the "Linux Pocket
Guide". I believe all the man pages could be rewritten in the same
style and the man pages would be made clearer for everybody. Geeks
usually disguise their basic inability to write in Shakespeare's
language behind technical mumbo-jumbo whose format, they believe, will
necessarily make things clearer. Of course, just the opposite happens.

This is all just my honest opinion based upon my personal experience.

It's all the way mine too!
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