Re: [OT, FLAME] Linux Sucks
On Wednesday 26 March 2003 11:17 pm, Marc Wilson wrote:
> On Wed, Mar 26, 2003 at 06:02:33PM -0500, Roberto Sanchez wrote:
> > True. Perhaps it would have been better stated by saying that every
> > distro that wants to cater to Desktop users needs to implement a GUI
> > installer (and many other GUI tools).
>
> Why? The *user* has zero business installing the box. Yes, Joe Moron
> benefits from having GUI tools, because they mean he doesn't have to think,
> but it matters not for the installer.
Are you always so condescending to people who don't know what you know?
Perhaps it's not Joe Moron installing his box -- maybe it's someone with a
PhD in Physics who is so busy with his work on quantam mechanics he doesn't
have time to learn computers. Or maybe it's an MD.
> Everyone is talking about intuitive interfaces, and Linux on the desktop,
> and "the Windows XP killer", and etc... and no one wants to touch the basic
> question:
>
> Why is Joe Moron expected to be installing the box? Not "how neat if he
> could", but why in the world should it be set up for him to be able to?
Why not? Why are you so determined to state who should and should not be
installing a system?
> Why do we *want* him to be able to? Why does anyone care if he can?
Why should Joe User (or Joe Moron as you call him) have to care what you
*want* him/her to be able to do?
> Elitism be damned.
I agree. Elitism be damned. I can't see why you're saying that. Your
statements are elitism of the worst and strongest kind. It's clear you want
to keep either Linux or Debian purely in the realm of "techies only." Why?
It's almost as if you're threatened by the idea that the average user could
one day install Linux on his own.
>You don't expect the man off the street to be
> performing surgery... that's what skilled people are for.
Surgery. Gee, don't you have to be an MD for that? I know in the US that's 4
years of college, 3 years of med school and even more years as an intern.
This is a very poor analogy. I learned enough to handle Linux and Debian
(including the installer) in less than a year. I think if you want an
anology, I think Joe User installing a system is closer to knowing emergency
first aid, or perhaps being at the level of an EMT, which takes far less
experience than being an MD.
I'd also like to point out that learning enough to install a system doesn't
even require ANY formal education.
>In fact, we
> prosecute people like that who pretend, whether or not they hurt anyone.
> What makes this different?
Again, why are you so scared at the idea of system being easy to install and
Joe User being able to buy/download Linux (maybe even Debian) and being able
to install it on his/her own system?
If Henry Ford had your attitude, autos would have never been for more than
mechanics. I'm sure you know computers very well, but it seems quite clear
you do NOT know people -- your comments show a complete ignorance of the fact
that people don't fit in pigeon holes. Some users want to learn more, some
want to find out what else is out there, and some don't want to do a damn
thing they don't have to. And some computer people just want to live in
their own little world where they can show off their technical expertise and
feel superior to others because they know things everyone else doesn't. Is
it just possible you fit in the last category?
I have to admit, I'm probably what you fear most. While your attitude is
elitist and you prefer to decide what is made available to others (statements
like "Why do we *want* him to be able to? Why does anyone care if he can?")
and give people as little as possible, I'm a populist (I guess it comes from
living in a republic) and feel it's better to empower as many people as
possible with as many tools as possible, giving them the ability to make
their own choices and decisions, rather than forcing them to work within the
choices we make for them (which, come to think of it, is what Microsoft does
-- makes the decisions on what users can and can't do with a computer --
maybe you should be working there...).
Hal
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