[TriLUG] Nice article: The Register "Making Linux look harder than it is"

[David A. Cafaro]

Very true, I usually get people up and started with linux the "Easy GUI" 
way, then encourage them to learn the "powerfull, get your hands dirty" 
way.  That way they aren't scared off by complexity, but still can see the 
real power behind the GUI.  There are always going to be the people who 
just want it to work.  The thing is to catch the ones who go "Wow that was 
cool, runs nice..hmm what's under the hood?"

David

At 09:47 AM 12/7/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>He does make some good points, indeed. The essential issue seems to be
>*why* linux is a Good Thing (tm):
>
>- If it's because open source is good (and/or Microsoft is bad), the
>article is right on target; open-source GUI tools can simulate and extend
>the functions of commercial software, and users should be helped and
>encouraged to make them do so.
>
>- If it's because the *ix *style* is a good thing (that is, lots of
>little, relatively simple tools that can be pieced together to do a very
>good, efficient job at most tasks), then the article is
>off-base. Getting new users to load linux, only to stay with StarOffice as
>their application base, doesn't do much.
>
>My feeling is that both of the above are Good Things, which is why the
>article is partially on-target. But my own experience is that taking a
>short period of time (say, a week) to really learn *ix and actually think
>differently about computing has tremendous payoffs down the line in terms
>of efficiency. And it's a shame to discourage new users from taking linux
>as an opportunity to take that leap.
>
>Just my 2c.
>
>ap
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>Andrew J Perrin - andrew_perrin at unc.edu - http://www.unc.edu/~aperrin
>  Assistant Professor of Sociology, U of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
>       269 Hamilton Hall, CB#3210, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3210 USA
>
>
>On Fri, 7 Dec 2001, David A. Cafaro wrote:
>
> > For those interested found this nice article.  He has some good points.
> >
> > http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/23245.html
> >
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