John, as you compile your book, please consider that while this e-mail list
is freely distributed and may be "fair use" copied, We can not be sure that
everyone whom contributed a question or a response is willing to see that
question or response in someone other than MandrakeSoft inc.'s copyright
protected work, as a book would/should be. In My Opinion, and I ain't an
ex-spurt in this either, (but have had a little experience in having websites
plagiarized, and in the legal matters involved from the side of the victim,)
please consider that a release should be signed by everyone whom you quote
directly. Also, please consider this my notice to you that I DO NOT, at this
time, give you permission to directly quote myself or any of my postings, an
any manner other than "fair use" (I don't have a problem with your computer
putting this in a disk cache for instance, but I do not want it to see it in
a book that is charged for by anyone other than MandrakeSoft.)
thanks.
Ed Tharp
On Sunday 22 July 2001 19:32, John Rigby wrote:
> Hi Roman & folks,
> Actually the whole point of the project I envisaged from Day One was
> to AVOID the consequences of too many choices ( philosophically,
> choices=conflicts) and to help the BASIC USER community not the even
> the ADVANCED USERS - they LIKE being annoyed! :-)
>
> In fact, it is germinating into a two part construct:
> 1. ABSOLUTELY New Users (first computer)
> 2. TRANSITIONAL Users. Those escaping The Other Thing.
>
> But remember, it is specific to Mandrake. One must call a halt
> somewhere. Even Mandrakes earlier Distros have problems with later
> ones.
> AND - most computer users 95% of them out there have no idea that
> there is anything else other than Doze and the idea that there are
> many different Versions even of it ......................
>
> Comments below *************
>
> On Sun, 22 Jul 2001 01:58, you manipulated electrons to produce:
> > Hi John,
> >
> > I don't think newbies should always stick with a strict code of
> > what to do and what not to do or learn. This stifles the learning
> > process.
>
> ************* There is only one way to learn to read. Very limited
> and non-confusing choices as first. ( Running words together comes
> much later) Otherwise the learning curve and worse, the frustration
> curve increases exponentially.
> --------------
>
> >Remember Microsoft? Linux gives you the freedom to learn
> > about new apps., features and coding. And, if you don't like
> > something, you have the option of modifying the code. Those newbies
> > that venture into the unknown can learn a lot.
>
> ********** "Modifying the Code????" Users like me - the other 90%
> don't want to do our own oilchanges and tuneups - we look for a
> reliable mechanic - and get on with what we are good at, instead. :-)
>
> > Ofcourse, you can stick with the basics and include additional
> > notes on configuring tar balls. There are large number of
> > applications that must be configured first, followed by make and
> > make install.
>
> "BASICS"?? Dear Roman, unless it works automatically thru the
> Mandrake installer, the rest of us won't be getting stuck in any
> "tar pits". We only want to DO things with the programs. Write great
> novels, pay the bills, talk sex on the internet safely, figure out
> our accounts - and most critically - make a buck out there.....
> somehow.
> Did you know for instance, that there is a would-be commercial
> Website out there for every eight "surfers"?
> --------------------
>
> >I think this should be added to the book. Newbies
> > will be encountering this more often than not. Additional notes can
> > be appended by the user or posted on Mandrakeforum. Many of the
> > rpms included with the Mandrake distribution were created by or for
> > Mandrake. In addition, over the next several months additional rpms
> > and apps will be added to the list, by way of CD distribution, or
> > free download. However, I question creating a newbie list that must
> > be moderated, with questions and comments censored for all users.
>
> ********** pregnantcisely. This whole idea is to *more adequately*
> cover the narrower field of Mandrake - a big enough job in itself!
>
> Even censorship is a much misused and misunderstood thing.
> It has two sides:
> 1. Someone going to the trouble to categorise things - like movie
> ratings.
> 2. Denial of access.
> I really appreciate people going to a lot of trouble to categorise
> things to save me a lot of time lost. For parents it is a godsend:
> movie certification. EXCEPT that they warn against things like
> nudity and ok things like driving an auto at 100 m.p.h. in city
> streets and slaughtering people. :-(
> DENIAL, on the other hand, i object to greatly. The wonder of the
> internet is that you - for the most part - can find your interest and
> your level of it readily. I even object to objections to pornography
> - providing it is "censored" in the sense that I am not tricked into
> viewing it, but it is a CATEGORY and simply available.
>
> Everything you propose as having available IS available, Roman, what
> isn't available is the sort of thing that is most necessary of all:
> a K.I.S.S. *introduction* - a gentle one - to the vast majority of
> people out there who really do *only* want to use programs as tools
> and not for the excitement of being able to *eventually* get it to
> work, somehow. :-)
>
> But we really need both the pros like Civileme and Sridhar who
> volunteer their help and the super-users like you.
> Then we need me to translate it into understandable and usable form
> for the utter non-geeks like me. It takes one to know one, you know.
>
> :-)
