Re: Clueless users are bad for debian (was Let's CENSOR it!)
Summary:
1. Stupid Linux dists are bad.
2. Stupid Linux dists are bad for Linux => Stupid Linux dists should be ^
ignored! (Sorry Woody/Potatoe/...)
After reading the citated posting I got the feeling that some people are
afraid of loosing their exclusive toy, isn't it?
IMHO every succesful linuxs experience begins with a sucessful installation,
and for the "first contact" we'd been newbies altogether. During the last
years some friends of mine tried Linux but failed with the installation -
this had been the end of their linux adventure, luckily only temporary. These
guys aren't technical newbies, they're going to became an electrical engineer
in the next time! WHY:
1.) These guys discovered the possibilities Linux offers for scientists /
engineers (LaTeX,octave,gcc,...)
2.) So they wished to do their daily work (writing papers, working on
algorithm, doing their programming excercises).
3.) They aren't purists: they likes hearing mp3 music during
their work, like nice desktop GUI's (like me - I adore the KDE3 liquid
style - If KDE3 will become available for Debian (and usable!)
at some time you must try it!).
4.) Most of them failed with the installation; most hardware won't run,
X failed to work.
To make it short: the majority just want to work under linux! Using the nerd
approach (Debian today) is like using an oldtimer in daily life: It simply
takes to much time & attention, worser, time & attention you need for you
work! An "apt-get" which ruins a system by unprompted deletion of libraries
&programs couldn'tbe used on a workstation!
SuSE 7.3 and 8.0 changed the solutions: much of my friends told me that the
installation went even better than the installation of actual Window$
versions, isdn cards, ADSL routers and accerlated X with 3D support runs "out
of the box"! These guys started to work with linux like me years ago; if they
follow my footsteps they would become open source programmers like me, and to
be honest: linux lives from new people working with it, writing programs for
it! Linux should support us in our daily works, because we haven't the time
to live for "what would not kill us makes us stronger!" (or do you prefer
going to work "per pedum" everyday?). Besides, this is very important for the
acceptance of Linux as a replacement for windows at the workplace!
PS: The argument, that a user-foe distribution like debian would force users
to understand their system is wrong, because:
a) someone who didn't start with linux will never ever became a linux user =>
he couldn't became an experienced user because he will never became a user at
all!
b) Sometimes even experienced users have to get something done quickly (I
prefer using a tool for working, not working to use a tool!)
c) The reason for getting deeper knowledge should be curiosity not the
necessarity of getting something to work & running out of time,
d) a sel-compiled kernel requires a usable kernel to run gcc (+the feeling of
safety; If I mess my system, yast would repair it!)
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