RE: [TCLUG:8945] Installfest was great

["Carl Wilhelm Soderstrom" <carls@agritech.com>]

>IMO, we were not put upon this world to teach others what they want, or what
>they should be using. If someone wants Linux, they will get it. If someone
>needs help, they will find it. If they can't find any help, then they didn't
>really want it to begin with. Cynical? Not really. Ninety-nine out of a
>hundred new users of a alternative OS are led to installing it by the worst
>kind of hype that can exist - the hype that lures users to a product for a
>capability that they will never see or use. So now you have Joe Schmoe
>saying to his friends "What a POS... it was impossible to do anything and it
>didn't run anything I use.". 
        I think this is one of the best posts I've seen on the subject.
        Let's face it; a lot of people couldn't even describe the difference
between a CLI & a GUI if you asked them. they may *know* the difference; but
would have a tough time *explaining* the difference. they simply don't have
enough background in the workings of a computer, to describe what's going
on. (at least not in ways that us geeks are used to hearing).
        Neither do they really *want* to know that sort of thing. they want
to send e-mail to their friends, browse www.hotchix.com, write a letter to
grandma, and play Doom; and they want to do it all by pointing their
finger/remote control at the screen.
        this is why many of the "advantages" of Linux generally don't
matter. what most people want, is a Sega Dreamcast/WebTV, with a printer and
a word processor. (and a reliable OS).
        We can give them Linux, within a "LinuxTV"; and they will neither
know nor care. these are the people who use Windows; simply b/c it's the
first/only thing offered to them. They don't care if there are better ways
to do it; if those better ways require them to think at all.

        So in a lot of ways I'm more than happy to distance myself from that
lot; to be part of a community that has higher standards. I'm ready to spend
my time and effort to become a productive part of that community; rather
than just another warez leech.
        there are those folk who genuinely want to learn about computers;
and as the previous poster said; "if they want help, they'll find it". 
        rather than try to sweep everyone into our fold (as the Windows
marketdroids want to do, b/c it's profitable for them); let's make inclusion
into our community a matter of choice. it does *us* little good to include
everyone; it merely dilutes our strength of community. 
        on the other hand, we should not actively try to *exclude* people.
if they come to us asking questions; we should welcome them with open arms.
asking questions is what distinguishes the geeks from the lusers; asking
questions indicates a *desire to learn*, which a lot of people genuinely
don't have about computers.

So perhaps the distillation of all this is:
        If we have an installfest; bring a fully set-up computer along to
show to people who are there for "curiosity's sake". (I know there were
several there). have someone show them some of the things than Linux can do.
if that inspires them to want it; then go ahead and help them install it. if
they don't have a definite desire for it; at least let them get a feel for
what it can do, and give them something to think on; rather than pushing
them into something they'll back out of later (there have been a good many
cases of that).
        don't just show people a room full of half-set-up computers
surrounded by geeks scratching their heads over a multitude of problems. :)

I've rambled on too long already...
Carl Soderstrom
System Administrator	307 Brighton Ave. 
Minnesota DHIA		Buffalo, MN	
carls@agritech.com	(612) 682-1091