Examination of a Linux Gui, w/color commentary

[bmcculley at rcn.com]

Derek Martin wrote:
>
>I will say this though:  In today's world, the computer is 
>an essential tool which is used by virtually all job functions 
>for a variety of tasks.  It has become a basic essential 
>skill.  If we are not teaching computer skills to our children 
>along with reading, writing, and math, then that is a failure 
>of our society.
>
>Moreover, I do not expect computer users in businesses to 
>become computer experts; but this does not excuse them from 
>learning computer-related skills which are essential to their 
>job.  No business user should need to know how to configure 
>a printer or configure network shares to do his or her job; 
>that's what the sysadmins are for.  But they should learn 
>the basics of manipulating the filesystem, and whatever 
>skills are relevant to their job.  

The yardstick for measuring relevance becomes very subjective
when we look into the general user community, and we need to
be tolerant of those who may not aspire to the same stringent
standards of technical expertise that we geeks embrace.

Consider automobiles as an analogy.  Most users don't need to
be auto mechanics, nor should they.  But do they need to be
able to change a flat tire, or check the oil?  Some feel they
do, some feel they don't.  

Now extend the analogy to our Linux advocacy.  Will an
automaker be more likely to flourish and prosper if they
accept that some drivers don't care to learn to check the oil,
so idiot lights are necessary?  How will the competitive
marketplace reward the automaker who decides that providing a
tire patch kit is sufficient instead of a spare tire, or
perhaps a roadside service plan?

The value we geeks add is creating more useful technology, or
making existing technology more useful.  If we demand that the
users of our technology adapt to it we reduce both our value
and the utility of our technology.  That's a path to becoming
victims of Darwin, or the gang from Redmond.

So if we really want to promote the growth and adoption of our
favorite FOSS technologies, we need to make it seem
comfortable to those users who crave the luxury of ignorance,
not make it harsh and unforgiving.  That means thinking from
the user's perspective even as we're playing the developer's
role.  ESR hit the nail squarely.

-Bruce McCulley