Re: [seul-edu] Linux in Elementry

[Samuel Hart <criswell@geekcomix.com>]

On Wednesday 22 August 2001  2:29pm, zeruch [Joseph Estevao Arruda] wrote:
> Samuel Hart wrote:
> <deletia>
>
> > It's been my experience (working with technologically illiterate persons,
> > as many many Joe-users are) that once you give them a well setup system
> > (and by this, I mean a techno-literate person has already set up all the
> > basics for them, and has chosen some consistant interface for them) they
> > have the exact same troubles using the system regardless of whether it is
> > Linux or Windows (or MacOS, or whatever). And in some cases, with a
> > little bit of forsight and care, you can actually use the massive
> > configurability of Linux UIs to make something easier for Joe-end-user to
> > use.
> >
> > Case in point: My parents ;-)
>
> <deletia>
>
> > Another case in point: My wife ;-)
>
> My case in point - both have an on-hand person as a captive IT worker
> (my family does the same thing).

Actually, true for my wife, not my parents.

My parents live in WYO, I live in AZ. They are a 20-30 hour drive away.

My parent's system has been running with less than one weeks worth of 
maintenance (from me ;-) in the last two years. (My wife and I can't afford 
to visit them that often... over the last three years, we probably have spent 
a month with them at their home).

So no, my parents do not have a captive IT worker ;-) I do talk to them for 
probably an hour a week, but we rarely talk about any computer problems.

> The other thing I brought up was people who are already hardwired a
> certain way...this dramatically can increase the time/effort/other
> resource cost, and is not adressable in a one size fits all approach.

This /is/ true.

My parents (non-technological to the max) were able to quickly pick up the 
Linux box I gave them and start using it.

However, when I worked at a certain large "old-school" computer hardware 
company (*cough*...*cough*... *Intel*), I found that those techno-literate 
persons who are ingrained in the look/feel/actions/ways of another OS 
(*cough*...*cough*...*Windows*) had a very hard time adapting to a different 
OS's UI.

So I guess I should rephrase my statement: It's been my experience that the 
problems *novice* end-users have with Linux UIs largely stem from someone not 
adequately preparing that UI for them.

-- 
Sam "Criswell" Hart <criswell@geekcomix.com> AIM, Yahoo!: <criswell4069>
Homepage: < http://www.geekcomix.com/snh/ >
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