Re: Desktop Linux Summit thoughts....

From: PacManFever (aarrowstar_at_yahoo.com)
Date: 04/27/04 

Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2004 13:34:59 -0700

Davorin Vlahovic wrote:
> On 2004-04-26, PacManFever <aarrowstar@yahoo.com> wrote:

>>Although Mandrake (the 2004 attempt) I found to be pretty nice and very
>>close to the UI found in Linspire, I just thought that for non-technical
>>users, the CNR feature was pretty convenient, and although it's a
>>subscription service, I would rather have one single click to install.
>
>
> Typical windows way of thinking. That's a bad thing. If you can do a
> one-click-install, then some other program can install misc. *** on
> your computer. Proof of concept - http://www.microsoft.com
Better for a new Linux user like me to gradually ease into Linux by way
of familiar OS features (such as those found in Lindows), than to dunk
them in the proverbial deep end by introducing completely new ways of
installing programs, etc. I'm sure as time goes on, I'll get a lot more
comfortable with Linux and will move onto another distro if it suits my
needs. But I'm not going to switch to a different distro simply on the
basis of principle. But I agree with what you're saying.

>>I simply don't have time to read through the readme files to get
>>instructions on how to install programs. If I can click it once, get it
>>installed by itself, and it runs, I'm happy.
>
>
> To learn how to write with a pen, you loose about one year. To learn how
> to drive a car, you loose about three months. To learn how to use a
> computer, you loose a lot of time. You can't just assume computer will
> do everything for you. You have to invest time. You think people on
> windows don't do that? Sure they do. Those that don't, have problems with
> worms, viruses, troyans, etc.

Hey, not all of us have the time to deal with computer problems. End of
story. I'm a lawyer and the last thing I need to do is spend 3 hours of
potentially billable time on fixing my own computer. It's cheaper for
me to have someone come and fix it.

>>And what is up with these guys getting all over me for posting my
>>thoughts on this NG, anyhow?
>
>
> It's not about them, but about your attitude. You're basicly saying to
> them that everything they've learned is for nothing, and the time spent
> to learn it wasted. That's why you get such a treatment.

I was only stating an opinion, bro. If I said "Lindows is going to wipe
out every other Linux distro out there!!" then that'd be different.
That WOULD be a statement worth flaming. I merely said it looks like
Lindows is going to be the one adopted by most non-techie (i.e.
mainstream computer users), not the distro that was going to replace
them. They read what they wanted to read, and they jumped all over me
for it. (Truthfully, it may not be a correct statement at all, but
coming from a newbie, they ought to know better than to flame someone
who doesn't possess the same experience as them. It makes *THEM* look
like the idiot.)

>>Geez...Give a newbie a break, huh?
>
>
> 20 years of computing, you say? You know, Unix-like OS-es exist since
> 1970's.

Yes, I've read up on the history of Unix. Pretty fascinating stuff,
really. I never said I was a computer *expert* w/20 years experience.
I've only USED computers for that long, and then...hehe...mostly for
gaming. :)

>>I'm
>>not a techie per se, but I have been using computers for over 20 years
>>and I like to take stabs at where trends are headed with regard to
>>computing....
>
>
> Trends are like bitches. Remember the one that said that WinNT will
> destroy Unix? Circa 1996.? :)
Not really, but if you say so, okay then. Those people were wrong about
that, obviously.

>>These guys acted like what I was saying was factual and
>>they flamed me for it. Bunch of assholes....
>
>
> Like I said, you're too agresive. And so are them. Anyway, this is not a
> my-distro-is-the-greatest-and-most-user-friendly contest, this is where
> people seek help. Since you don't seek for help, and neither do others
> in this thread, I'd ask you to, please, stop with this. Thank you.
>
I'm only aggressive in the sense that if I feel I was unjustly flamed
for making a casual prediction, then I have the right to fight back.
These guys were just too bullheaded to take my OP for what it was and
leave it at that. It was *their* attitude/cockiness that prompted them
to flame a complete newbie to Linux. Hence, I responded in kind.

And although I may be a newbie to Linux, again, after 20 years of using
computers, I feel I have a pretty good barometer for where trends in
computers are headed. It is by no means exacting, nor is it meant to
be. But for them to tear apart my OP and flame me for being a newbie
who gave a general prediction (even if it WAS based mostly upon a
Lindows-sponsored event), that's just plain asinine. 

-- 
Here are the 4 stages of Life
1) You believe in Santa
2) You don't believe in Santa
3) You ARE Santa
4) You LOOK like Santa