Desktop Linux (fwd)

[Jeff Kinz]

On Wed, Feb 25, 2004 at 12:13:20PM -0800, Michael Costolo wrote:
> --- Jeff Kinz <jkinz at kinz.org> wrote:
> > Yes it is, but its not Quicken.  My mom, and several other people won't 
> > consider changing, so its got to be Quicken on Linux.
> 
> Nothing personal, but I honestly don't understand that mentality.  

I think you understand it.  You just don't like it or agree with it and
I can understand why. (and if you "really really" don't understand it,
well.... that is a problem.)

However it is where a lot of windows users, having gone thru great
pain over the years have ended up phsychologically. Try working in a
none-technical department at a University sometime. (1986:"You'll get my mac
away from me when you pry it from my cold dead hands...." Said by a PHd
no less.)

> Then perhaps they really have no reason to change operating systems.

Oh - I thought we were trying to convince people to want to change, Never mind. 
:-)

> > On the bright side, I put some linux boxes in a library to replace the 
> > "public use" internet and word processing functions and the public
> > didn't even notice that they weren't using windows.  They just walked in
> > and started using the systems with no more questions than usual.
> > I used icewm with an XP look alike theme.
> 
> This function over form idea was a point I tried to make earlier.  

No, you missed.  In this case the FORM being identical as well as the
function is what made this situation easy for the public windows-based
users.  As long as they percieved no difference at the GUI or app level
between what they were used to, they had no problems with the system

Most of them thought they were using Microsoft Word!  (It was
OpenOffice).

> Well, I'm assuming the user *wants* to run Linux and *wants* to be able to do the
> same work, not necessarily just run the same programs.  

Wow.  I almost never run into people (Excepting technophiles) who want
to run Linux.  Are you sure you don't need to check your assumptions?


Most users want things to not change, and to not crash.  They would
rather not learn anything new if they don't have to.  We
Computer-phillic phokes need to remember that in our efforts to help
Linux achieve the mainstream.


> 
> -Mike-
> 
> =====
> "The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it"
> -George Bernard Shaw
> 
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-- 
Jeff Kinz, Open-PC, Emergent Research,  Hudson, MA.  
"jkinz at kinz.org" is copyright 2003.  
Use is restricted. Any use is an acceptance of the offer at
http://www.kinz.org/policy.html.