[dundee] [jtsmoore@revolution-os.com: Re: Screening of Revolution OS]

[Andrew Clayton]

On Fri, 2003-07-18 at 09:41, Jonathan Riddell wrote:
> On Fri, Jul 18, 2003 at 01:28:14AM +0100, Andrew Clayton wrote:
> > NOTE: The following is just a general rant and not aimed at any one
> > person.
> 
> Woo, heated debate!
> 
> > On Fri, 2003-07-18 at 00:33, jim wrote:
> > > If it was a simple matter of downloading a file and deciding which 
> > > player you prefered it would be fine.
> > > as far as I can see I need to download files, then compile them etc. I
> > 
> > This is not always the case.... in fact I bet with something like
> > Debian, you'd rarely need to go this route... ;)
> 
> But not the case with mplayer or other DVD players sadly.  Plus try

I believe mplayer these days has runtime cpu detection, though there
were other reasons why it was source only...


> seeing if your mum can get XFree86 configured with Debian.
> 

Configuring X on anything under anything can be easy or hard....

Once setup... it's a no brainer.

> > The trouble with windows and M$ is that they're all about dumbing down.
> > 
> > The average computer user 15 years ago was a lot more computer literate
> > than the average computer user these days. Obviously there is a number
> > of factors contributing to that...
> > 
> > UNIX/Linux et all is about dumbing up. Sure it requires a little bit of
> > thought and effort on behalf of the user. But thats not a bad thing,
> > it's a good thing.
> > 
> > And the UNIX/Linux desktops of today ARE ready for the computer
> > "challenged". The thing is, you have to make the distinction between
> > user and administrator. 
> 
> Shouldn't people be able to use computers without extensive knowledge?

Extensive knowledge yes... but a little knowledge is a good start.

I'm only looking for a little more knowledge than "point and click".


> Most home users don't have an administrator handy.
> 

Hmm... as Linux gets more and adoption, this will change. In the
meantime there is always Linux pre-installed machines.


> > That they don't have to spend ludicrous amounts of $CURRENCY on useless
> > software, that theres no need for endless reboots. That computers
> > shouldn't just crash and lockup. That they don't need to be locked into
> > endless upgrade cycles. That they don't have to held to ransom over
> > proprietary file formats and protocols. That they can break free of the
> > "embrace and extend" and "lock in" tactics of $MONOPOLY   
> 
> Yes but there's still 101 mostly small simple things that make it hard
> to use.  Even at my work getting computer science students around the
> various wee problems with GNU/Linux is difficult.
> 

Examples would be interesting...


> > Thats certainly something we would need to do as a LUG sometime, have a
> > "Linux Awareness" day.
> 
> Cardiff just had a really succeful one, they managed to get the local
> council involved as well.
> 

Yep.


> Jonathan Riddell
> 


--
Andrew