Re: Booting Debian/testing fails
On Sun, Feb 04, 2007 at 11:54:46PM +1300, Chris Bannister wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 02, 2007 at 03:40:24PM -0500, Douglas Allan Tutty wrote:
> > On Fri, Feb 02, 2007 at 10:04:00AM -0800, Andrew Sackville-West wrote:
> >
> > > I do recall that there was not a lot of good detailed information from
> > > OP on the problem, but maybe I missed it. What are we, as a community
> > > of trying-to-be-helpful users, doing to cause this reaction? It seems
> > > to be happening more and more, though maybe I'm new enough to not see
> > > the pattern properly. Clearly this guy is upset, frustrated, but to
> > > block out the list that's supposed to be trying to help is
> > > disturbing.
>
>
> > I think that some of the problem may be a function of becoming, dare I
> > say it, main stream? It used to be, people would just do windows since
> > to them it was the only OS and it came with the box (so why change).
> > Now people, for a variety of reasons (macs change archetecture, problems
> > with constantly paying for new MS stuff, whatever), people who before
> > wouldn't consider a *N*X are doing so. And they're not prepared.
> >
> > They may never have installed an OS before. They figure, get the CD,
> > pop it in, click OK, and its done. They're not hackers. They've never
> > even opened their boxes. They think a "hard drive" is the whole case
> > sitting on the floor. When their expectations aren't realized, they
> > get:
> > frustrated: what's going on?
> >
> > scared: I need the computer for work tomorrow. Now what?
> >
> > Debian Stable doesn't work with their newer hardware. They're scared of
> > something called 'testing'.
> >
> > I think that we need a big "NEW to UNIX-Like Operating Systems like
> > Debian?" button on the front page of the web site. It could take them
> > to a short introduction about what *N*X is like, and how to get
> > documentation and support.
>
> Kantonix, Mepis, Ubuntu, and others *based* on Debian.
> Personally, I don't think that Debian is geared towards newbies but more
> towards admins and people who seem to know what they are doing. Hence
> the formation of Kantonix, Mepis, Ubuntu, and others *based* on Debian.
>
> Unfortunately the distinction is not made clear anywhere.
So does this mean that the Debian community, while helpful to newbies
that know enough how to ask a question, would be happier if newbies who
don't just went to one of those projects instead?
If this is the case, we should still have the big button but say so. Or
have links to those projects as suggestions among others. I think that
such a simple thing would go a long way to making the debian website
more newbie friendly. Similar to notice at the head of a difficult
trail warning that inexperienced hikers are more likely to fall off a
cliff. Help is available to get you out but it could take a week.
Doug.
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