Re: SEUL: vi, end-users, and distribution issues [very long, 10k]

[Erik Walthinsen <omega@omegacs.net>]

> Hate to be the devil's advocate here, but...  Fact is, one of the beauties
> of Linux is use what works for you, and if what works for you hasn't been
> done yet, do it.
That's what SEUL is for.

> Paper and pencil work better for you than computer? Sure, go ahead.
I agree.  Some people just don't get any benefit from computers, so they'll 
use what their used to.

> Vi and printer work for ya?  More power to ya...
Whatever.  If it works, do it.  But I can tell you right now that vi doesn't 
do the job for people who aren't computer literate and have much better 
things to do than learn the vi command set.

> Allowing MORE newbies is a Bad Thing(tm), they already outnumber us
> hackers more than 10:1 thanks to MS.
This "us hackers" thing is ridiculous.  If you have a problem with newbies, 
either deal with it or try to help out.  Consider that home PC sales have been 
growing exponentially, as have new ISP contracts.  It makes no difference 
what OS they're running, they're still newbies.  If you still don't like 
that, hole up in a remote mountain cabin somewhere in Montana.  Just don't
send any bombs to my address.

> Has anyone here seen what newbies have done to USENET?!  Especially
> alt.comp.hardware.homebuilt!  They've made it absolutely useless.
Agreed.  But this has nothing to do with getting computer users to switch to 
Linux.  If you feel so strongly about keeping the 'Net "pure", write an AI 
filter for usenet and include it in SEUL.  Problem solved.  Or better yet, 
try to actually educate people about what is acceptable and what isn't.  What 
better way to do that then to integrate some basic checks into the newsreader 
itself?

> You have to read the manual before you use the dishwasher, WHY should
> computers be any different?
They aren't.  A computer user should read their manual just like any other.  
That is assumed (though all too often ignored), and is nothing we can do 
anything about anyway.  The only thing we can do is help then out with online 
docs and wizards.

> BTW, it has been suggested on the SEUL list that Linux's standardized
> directory structure could be classed among arcania that should be discarded,
> it was also suggested that such a move would be easy<ROFL>
It has been suggested, I think, but as there is no reason to deviate from the 
FSH 2.0, we will not.  It's as simple as that.  I strongly disagree that the 
filesystem hierarchy should be junked because it's "arcane".  Of course it's 
arcane.  But it works, and no user ever has to see it, so what's the issue?

     Erik Walthinsen <omega@seul.org> - SEUL Project system architect
        __
       /  \                SEUL: Simple End-User Linux -
      |    | M E G A            Creating a Linux distribution
      _\  /_                         for the home or office user