Re: Making linux more user friendly

From: Nog (nognog_at_adelphia.net)
Date: 07/04/05

  • Next message: Andy Fraser: "Re: Making linux more user friendly" 
    Date: Mon, 4 Jul 2005 07:39:00 -0400

    "David Lloyd Geering" <dreamlax@phreaker.net> wrote in message
    news:42c8fe6b@clear.net.nz...
    > Brian white wrote:
    >> Before anybody blows a fuse and writes something truly stupid and
    >> offensive
    >> in reply, please read to the end.
    >> We all know that linux does not always work with all the hardware on a
    >> home
    >> computer so why not probe it from the net first? (Just like the
    >> antivirus
    >> companys do in windows). knoppix does something like that from the cd.
    >> If there are going to be hardware issues, recommend a change of graphics
    >> or
    >> sound card or webcam or whatever.
    >> Then a distro just for that computer and its user requirements can be
    >> made
    >> and shipped to that user with almost 100% certainty that it will work
    >> well
    >> and as fast as possible on that particular computer.
    >> Linux is advanced enough that this could be automatic.
    >> Microsoft could not compete with that especially for slightly older
    >> computers.
    >> Now, about webcams and instant messaging,
    >> I started a thread looking for normal IM functionality on linux
    >> (inclucing
    >> webcam support of course).
    >> And a rude yob gave the reply below. It is not acceptable. PERIOD
    >> I wish to speak to his employer about his attitude, so, if any of you
    >> know
    >> more, please contact me. And if you know him, in the linux community,
    >> please tell him what a disservice he does to his cause.
    >> I have read through some of the comments in threads here and some
    >> contribitors have a lot of growing up to do. I am not a programmer, i am
    >> an
    >> end user. I expect a usable desktop system. That means webcam support for
    >> IM. I sent my relatives halfway across the world a webcam and i cannot
    >> communicate with them through it because i use linux. That is a stupid
    >> situation. As long as linux has this glaring hole in its armour, it will
    >> never be accepted by young people as a real operating system.
    >> I worked with young guys half my age and they laughed at my unix yahoo
    >> messanger (no webcam support) and my kopete (no webcam support) typing to
    >> their msn (until msn changed protocols)
    >> Thats just the way it is. Build IM with webcam for linux of forget the
    >> desktop. Brian
    >>
    >>
    >> Re: Is there a messenger service out there?
    >> From:
    >> Ivan Marsh <annoyed@you.now>
    >> Date:
    >> Friday 01 Jul 2005 08:03:32
    >> Groups:
    >> alt.linux
    >> References: 1 2 3
    >>
    >> Sorry, but you are a fucking moron.
    >>
    >> I'm, right this very moment, sitting in front of five million dollars in
    >> telecommunications equipment that runs Linux... perfectly, stably and
    >> with little or no maintenance... that supports over a thousand end-users.
    >>
    >> Linux wasn't written for people to have inane conversations with their
    >> friends... it was written to do business and science.
    >>
    >> To use your analogy a car isn't a car if it doesn't have a radio. That's
    >> pure idiocy.
    >>
    >>
    >>
    >> If you can't make Linux work for you then do the sensible thing and don't
    >> use it.
    >>
    >>
    >
    > Mr. Brian White,
    >
    > You can always go back to Microsoft Windows. You can browse the Internet
    > and wait for someone to develop a worm that infects just about every
    > Windows PC connected to the Internet (MSBLAST.EXE, SASSER), or you can
    > switch to Linux, that, when correctly set up, offers far better security
    > than Windows ever could.
    >
    > You can play games, do your video IM conversations through MSN Messenger.
    > You can do whatever you like and wait for your computer to unexplainably
    > crash simply from memory leaks and the likes, or you can switch to Linux,
    > which offers far better stability than Windows ever could.
    >
    > You can pay large amounts to own a liscense to Windows, Office, and other
    > Microsoft products. You can pay for whatever you would like to. Linux, on
    > the other hand, has thousands of primarily free by GPL or other liscenced
    > but free software that have similar features to Microsoft Products. The
    > operating system itself is free and has more features that Windows.
    >
    > Microsoft do not release the source code to any of their products. They
    > want you to use their products and nobody elses. When it comes to
    > developing software which interacts with their service, it will be hard to
    > develop without any sort of documentation. Getting GAIM and Kopete to work
    > with the existing MSN Messenger service was probably quite a challenge,
    > given the fact all they had was a binary executable and a packet logger.
    >
    > Go back to Windows if you miss video IM in MSN Messenger. Linux is for
    > people who understand how computers work, not for those who take computers
    > for granted. Most people are a "move the mouse, moves the cursor" kind of
    > person. There is nothing wrong with this, but until they understand what
    > actually happens when they move the mouse, they should stick with an
    > operating system that does all the work for them.
    >
    > Did you know that when the BLASTER worm was let loose, one of Microsoft's
    > update servers was so badly affected that they installed Linux on it
    > temporarily until they were able to set it back up? Linux servers are used
    > worldwide, and more and more people are switching to it because of its
    > cost, stability and security. Who cares if it doesn't have any
    > webcam-capable IM programs available? At least you won't have to
    > continually head to windowsupdate.microsoft.com and patch your operating
    > system every week when new holes are discovered.
    >
    > Regards,
    > Dave.

    I can't believe they are not using web cams in Europe where SuSE is
    spreading like wildfire.

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