Re: [seul-edu] Linux in Elementry

["zeruch [Joseph Estevao Arruda]" <z@valinux.com>]

Jim Thomas wrote:
<deletia>
> > Both of them have similarities to windows as far as interface so they both
> > should feel comfortable to users.
> >
> > A Question my wife brought up to me was. If all they have in the classroom
> > is Linux will they be able to work on windows when they get out of school.
> > Now my natural reaction was, "If they can use linux then windows should be
> > simple" anyone else got this kind of response when they mentioned it?
> >
> > -Matt
> 
> I get this all the time.  It's not that hard to switch between linux and
> windows (except that using windows gives me a headache).  It's my firm
> belief that Joe-user doesn't learn how to use Windows or Linux, he
> learns how to use applications.  Yet no one ever says "If we teach them
> to use WordPerfect, will they be able to use Word when they get out of
> school?"

<babble>

This really is not that simple. Yes, the argument that applications are
more important than the underlying OS (from the users perspective) rings
quite true - HOWEVER - in the case of MS and Mac, the consistent and
'seamless'* integration results in being that all the apps and the OS
behave as one kind of fluid environment.  I am in the minority of folks
who like obnoxious amounts of variety (most Joe-users could not or want
to deal with E with GTK and KDE and Motif and other widgets all
competing for play and looking fairly cluttered. I do, but I also spend
inordinate amounts of time 'playing' with the stuff as part of my
job...not everyone is so lucky ;) The use of this manages expectation
for the median user base.

A lot of this can be flitered via the language used to explain how stuff
works (or on occasion, doesn't). Most folks get into hardwired patterns
as they go from the discovery phase of learning something, to refinement
(just look at anyone who uses Slackware or Debian ;)** Think of an
artist when she first learns to use colour -- primary to secondary
mixing, then tertiary, then combinations as varied (or static) as the
person wishes - eventually leading to a particular stamp of style that
becomes harder to 'break' and change as it develops.  The same could be
said of coding styles and any other activity that follows a logical
progression of development.

This is why you get questions like "If we teach them to use WordPerfect,
will they be able to use Word when they get out of school?" This begs
the question, are you teaching the app or the skill to navigate an
interface via logic and understanding of GUIs/language?*** But hey,
thats the 30,000 ft up question, and most of the stuff we deal with here
is more low-level grass-roots.

</babble>

z

* note, when I say seamless it is loaded.  The fact of the matter is,
that most apps for Mac or Win use a consistent implementation of their
respective API (i.e. use of Alt-Shift Tab to cycle through active
windows, et al)

** for the overzealous or those suffering with a congenital humour
condition, this statement was a joke

*** language meaning human interpretation of words and ideograms into
concepts that 

-- 
Joseph Estevao Arruda	|	www.valinux.com	
Corporate Alchemist	|	www.sourceforge.net	
VA Linux Systems	|	www.linux.com
z at valinux dot com	| 	www.enlightenment.org
+1.510.683.6730		|	www.osdn.com