SEUL: A few thoughts

[Greg Bell <winston@atlantic.net>]

Presenting Information:

A lot has been said about using HTML as a means of presenting
information about linux which I tend to agree with (although I do think
that just presenting the man pages is not enough because simply the man
pages either inundate you with information or don't give you enough
information, but that is an aside) with only one problem that I see,
there is no method that I know of to read HTML documents without using a
web browser which to my mind is a bit of overkill.  Apparently there
exists the tools to create a html reader (bad example: MS WORD) but to
my knowledge no one has taken the time to create a stand alone program
for reading html.

Target:

As I have stated before the target audience we should be aim at is the
individual (note the word INDIVIDUAL) that has some computer knowledge
in whatever OS came with the computer they are using.  Let's face facts,
learning an OS is not something that one does in a day or two it takes a
concerted effort to get an OS into what the INDIVIDUAL wants and to
change requires a reason.  So what we should be asking outselves is why
a person would want to use linux and aim at that.

Oh just as an aside, I have not mentioned 'business' systems because
these are already set up in whatever OS they use an would require too
much trouble to change, in my opinion to 'break' into the business arena
it has to be from within which again points to why use linux vs
W/D/S7/OS2/real UNIX.

Distribution Media:

If one of the aims of our little group is to create a distribution then
we have to look at what a devices a 'stock' computer has.  A zip
distribution has been mentioned but zip drives are still a relatively
rare beast amoung computer users.  I would have to cast my vote for a
cd-rom for two reasons 1:) whereas a zip disk is probably an easier
medium to create a distribution on there is a limit on the amount of
information that can be placed on it (94 megs worth if I am not
mistaken).  Then also there is the problem of which type of zip disk:
Iomega, SysQuest, HP (well the HP is really just a Iomega) so there is
the factor of having to maintain multiple distribution on multiple
media, and 2:) a cd-rom is almost standard equipment on computers now,
no matter where they come from or what OS is being used (this of course
only applies to desktop/laptop type computers and not the big monsters
(VAX, etc).

Just a small note:  There has been a message about getting linux into
grade schools which has valid points the only problem with that is the
schools themselves.  A few years ago I attempted to give some software
(old outdated versions of programs that the companies no longer maintain
or apparently care about [another story]) to some local schools (mainly
the ones that my children were attending) and I met with a great deal of
resistance (and I was talking to the heads of the computer departments)
out of the ten packages I was attempted to give to the schools only 1
package was accepted (and I think only because the computer heads
husband used an older version at home).  Now maybe I just talked to the
wrong people but mostly I got the impression that the schools around
where I live didn't want anything from a mere parent.
  Doesn't really make any point but may be something to think about when
dealing with schools.

                      Greg

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