[SLUG] Meetings

[John Allsopp]

Nope, I don't understand.

I must admit I haven't come across reflective screen technology, and I 
know that CRT screens caused a few problems, but I'm not seeing a 
people's revolution against flat screens. Is there really a huge problem 
with them?

And I think you started out right .. you said you know nothing about 
Linux. You really, really can't say that voluntary help doesn't work. 
The whole thing's build on voluntary help for gawd's sake. Linux, 
Firefox, all of it. Have a read of the Cathedral and the Bazaar, it 
really helped me understand a little more about open source culture.

I agree with you though. Using Linux is very, very frustrating and when 
you need help, you do have to help yourself a lot too which is a culture 
change when normally you'd just take something that doesn't work back to 
the shop. But here, you didn't pay for it, and there's no shop. I have a 
degree in this stuff and find Linux impossible sometimes. But most of 
the time it's pure delight.

The answer to getting Linux to use the technology you want is to 
volunteer to help people who want to make it happen.

J




Richard Lung wrote:
> As a Linux user, who knows nothing about Linux, and is an old fogey, Ive found 
> that expecting voluntary help when things go wrong or when you cannot do 
> extra things you want to, doesnt really work (and is unfair on Linux experts 
> anyway). 
> Expecting a mass switch to Linux on this voluntary support basis seems to me 
> totally impractical. Linux specialists wouldnt have lives of their own, let 
> alone be able to get on with their own professional work.
> Recruiting young people to become future experts and carriers of the open 
> source ethic is another matter. I think you are still really in that stage.
> 
> As yet M/S still seems to have an effective monopoly on some things you might 
> want to do.
> With no disrespect to the Linux community, its still restricted use seems to 
> reflect real restrictions on lay people who would use it.
> 
>  More basicly, there is a problem with monitors that has been grossly 
> neglected and that is the stare-into-direct-light eye-strain they all cause. 
> (I know one SLG member is concerned with partially sighted users.) 
> Considering that Panasonic e-books use reflective screen technology from a 
> Cambridge Mass. US firm, it seems a pity that the industry is so slow on the 
> uptake for computer monitors to use this eye-friendly technology.
> 
> from
> Richard Lung.
> 
> 
> On Friday 07 Sep 2007 17:19, DAVID KNIGHT wrote:
>> A prime area for broadening the group would be schools, IT dept and
>> students if only to raise awareness that there is another choice. Several
>> IT students I've spoken to don't even know what Linux is, many haven't
>> tried it. It seems all most are familiar with is Microsoft, Microsoft,
>> Microsoft...
>>
>>
>>
> 
> 
> 
>