Kutch: Supporting M$ piracy won't cut it =) We still have to give people options.
Ricky: In what you previously said: "I realized that this is anathema to many Linux users. You're supposed to know gcc and bash in order to use Linux. What is happening is that in teaching Linux here with these features as necessary parts to understanding means that a good many non-sysad types will be turned-off." I only started using Linux in August of last year. I don't know GCC and I just know a bit of BASH. It has been tough making time learning some things on the CLI. Previously there has been a flurry of messages concerning CLI and GUI (you could check the archives). I think that for people who have just been introduced to Linux, one way of encouraging them to learn to do things on the CLI is to show them how powerful it is =) There are a lot of nifty things that one can do on it. That way, they can be challenged to go beyond using the GUI. Sooner or later they will be comfortable with it ;) But there are other users who probably don't think they have to go beyond the GUI. Well, I guess it's ok for starters, as you never could force people into doing things =) On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 22:34:15 +0800, Zak B. Elep <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Indeed. Another instance of popular choice severely constrained by the > lack of choice. And even when there are choices, most humans take the > easy path of ignoring open knowledge in preference to laziness and/or > ineptitude of FOSS given their current situation. > So I guess it's still a matter of perspective =) So we have to tell them the truth about FOSS so that they will be set free from their current mindset ;) > Same as the `diploma culture' most Filipinos adopt. Of course, by itself > it isn't a bad thing, but we tend to stick to a particular > side/brand/way even if we know its kinda wrong... Stikcing to a brand that people are "sure of", is the more appropriate statement, I think. People won't buy a new brand unless it has been tried and tested and endorsed by so many others. Individual computer users may find it easier to adopt FOSS because they are the ones who will primarily be affected. In larger institutions and companies, they have more things to consider, as was said somewhere in this thread. So maybe sticking to a particular brand may not be inherently wrong... Just boxes people in =( > Having not the patience to learn another operating system while trying > to understand the fundamentals of computer science is an uphill > battle. Even if it isn't Linux, at least knowing the ins and outs, both > practically and theoretically, of a few different operating systems > should be, at the very least, emphasized in CS courses. In CS courses yes. And I suppose also in courses that are related to it such as information management and information technology classes =) > > >> probably this is also due to lack of competent instructors. If you'd > > Maybe that is another hindrance that is to be overcome. > > Which is probably best overcome once we have a better exposure of open > documentation. Not only manuals and references, but intro texts and > works into the philo of FOSS as well, that ought to be at the very least > sold at a low price. I guess that that this is something that has to be done so that people won't be overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed myself when I got introduced to Linux and FOSS in general. But intro texts and other documents have helped me gain a bit more of understanding =) That is why I am advocating the use of FOSS right now ;) > >> 4. On the corporate side, moving to opensource is considered risky. In > >> short, there is no one vendor to pin the blame on if anything goes > >> wrong. ^_^ > > They think of migration, training people, etc. aside from whatever > > they have to do when things go wrong. However, I think that the open > > source community is wonderful because people help out each other when > > things go wrong. Besides, I see that maintainers are updating people > > on forums and mailing lists, etc. so there shouldn't be much > > difficulty with that. :) > > Yes, there shouldn't be, as long as FOSS company promoters can give the > company a very clear picture of what FOSS can and can do for > them. Really, this is not so much a problem to the promoters as it > should be to the movers of the company, as they need to be keen enough > so they don't just jump to using/supporting FOSS when in time they won't > be able to handle it... True. But people promoting FOSS also have a certain degree of responsibility in how they help the company transition into using FOSS, ne? =) > > > Maybe we should be more active in promoting initiatives with regards > > to the usage of open source software ;) Incidentally, I was in SM > > Carpark's Cyberone yesterday. One of the shops had a sign on their > > walls which said that they install only Linux and Star Office. There > > is a net cafe in Philcoa that plans to shift to open source soon. > > And had visited it. Very nice! There's also one in Harrison Plaza that > has OpenOffice, though on Win98. At least it's OOo ;) Who knows? Maybe the next time you drop by they'll be running on Linux :D > They have some restricted shell running > on top of Explorer (though I suspect very easy to break, given time) so > I can't get Firefox or PuTTY, but there's Netscape and that's good > enough. > > -- > ZAK B. ELEP <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> -- <http://zakame.spunge.org> > 1024D/FA53851D 1486 7957 454D E529 E4F1 F75E 5787 B1FD FA53 851D > -- Running Debian GNU+Linux testing/unstable. GnuPG signed mail preferred. -- Clair Ching librarian, bookworm, information gatherer, anime fan, linux newbie http://clair.free.net.ph - blog about linux, emacs planner, tech and culture http://clair.pinoyweb.net - daily journal, stories, miscellany -- Philippine Linux Users' Group (PLUG) Mailing List [email protected] (#PLUG @ irc.free.net.ph) Official Website: http://plug.linux.org.ph Searchable Archives: http://marc.free.net.ph . To leave, go to http://lists.q-linux.com/mailman/listinfo/plug . Are you a Linux newbie? To join the newbie list, go to http://lists.q-linux.com/mailman/listinfo/ph-linux-newbie
