We are doing a basic computer training (plus word processing and intro to the internet) for single parents in our town.
Ages are from 28 to 66. Most are 40 above and are indigents. PCs are dual booted with Windows XP and PCLinuxOS. In the beginning, i let them use the Windows environment. And then I let them use PCLinuxOS environment (LXDE). And then I taught them MS Word, and OOo Writer for Word Processing. After each training, I let them choose what environment they want to use... Windows or Linux. Surprisingly, it doesn't matter to them. Its 50 - 50 for Windows and Linux. Those for Linux are the first time PC users, while those for Windows are those who had exposure to computers in the past. But when we started the training on the Internet, things changed. They noticed that internet browsing seems to be faster in Linux. The final nail in the coffin is when 4 PCs got infected with viruses that almost rendered those PCs unusable. So they asked me, how come the Linux boxes weren't infected with the virus. I simply told them that "because its not Windows". In the end, everybody in my class now only uses Linux as a matter of choice since we they enjoy editing their Facebook accounts without the pesky antivirus notifications. But I have to once in a while ASK them to boot on the Windows partition, just to refresh them of our previous lesson and they might still be "forced" to use Windows when they go to Internet Cafes. But when its time to surf, unanimously, they go back to boot the Linux partition. Just sharing! On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 10:34 AM, Pablo Manalastas <[email protected]>wrote: > I knew this was a bait, so I'm biting. > > I believe what senior citizens find difficult is not Linux or Windows. It > is how to navigate through the desktop with a mouse, simply because the > mouse is not designed for old folks with not so nimble hands. Another > problem is that no matter how hard they try, old folks do not realize that > cut-and-paste as a paradigm works for any file/directory/device to any > file/directory/device. And this goes for so many nice features that we take > for granted, but which old folks do not easily "accept" because this "thing" > is just too new for them. > > ~Pablo Manalastas~ > > > --- On Tue, 10/6/09, Daniel Escasa <[email protected]> wrote: > > > From: Daniel Escasa <[email protected]> > > especially for "senior citizens" (the > > likes of Pablo Manalastas > > excluded <g>)? -- > > http://linuxlock.blogspot.com/2009/10/twisting-path-to-linux.html > > _________________________________________________ > Philippine Linux Users' Group (PLUG) Mailing List > http://lists.linux.org.ph/mailman/listinfo/plug > Searchable Archives: http://archives.free.net.ph > -- David Tacasa Asuncion, Jr. website keeper, forever linux newbie, BUM extraordinaire Linux User # 406430 http://counter.li.org/ GPG: 0A024BC0
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