> Stuff like this is whats keeping the Linux Desktop behind. > People just want stuff to 'Just Work', not use the command line, or GUI > install tool thats confusing.
I agree. Those people *are* holding GNU/Linux--and free software--back. There has to be a realization on the part of a whole lot of people that spending the time to learn how to use something that will *set you free* is far more important than the stereotypical response of "I don't know how to use the command-line! I don't know how to do this! I don't want to spend time learning!" Your trepidation about learning something new is disturbing enough, but it's holding you back from escaping from a digital prison. Once a few of those people make that realization, there will be a large growth of the movement as people who have learned to use the CLI will tell their friends, and so on. More free software advocates spreading the news will be far more effective (in the long run) than people who say "See, this is just like Windows!" > Canonical might want to take a hint from the Apple Store. I disagree--Canonical might want to take hints from revolutionaries. They don't say "gee, we know it's hard, but we'll work as hard as we can to make it simple for you." No! Revolutionaries are out in the streets telling people, "This NEEDS to happen, or we will lose our way of life. This HAS to happen, or we will be trapped here forever." The free software movement needs to be united in that mindset, not pandering to users that don't realize the gravity of their situation. Free software is a concept that should be accepted almost immediately. The ideas are good. The fact that people get hung up on usability or unfriendliness shows their lack of understanding of the forces at work, not that we should be working super-hard to try and drag them into the fun. -- Mark Holmquist Student, Computer Science University of Redlands marktrac...@gmail.com _______________________________________________ LinuxUsers mailing list LinuxUsers@socallinux.org http://socallinux.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/linuxusers
