[aklug] Re: Basic Linux information

From: Arthur Corliss <acorliss@nevaeh-linux.org>
Date: Wed Sep 16 2009 - 22:16:45 AKDT

On Thu, 17 Sep 2009, Damien Hull wrote:

> Is the goal of AKLUG to produce level 1 helpdesk technicians? If so, nobody=
> told me. I would like as many people to be using Linux as possible. That i=
> ncludes the average user on the street who doesn't care about Vi or Apache.=
> At the moment we are in no danger of helping either one. =C2=A0

You're correct, the current state of affairs has us serving neither side.
That's partly because I don't think this group has every settled on a
primary demographic to court or, if they did, take any significant action to
do so. I'm sure there's a herding cats analogy to be made here.

> At the moment we spend our time talking amongst our selves. Friday night la=
> b sessions bring in the same people. We do two things. Bash Microsoft and m=
> aybe help someone with a project. That's it. And yes, I have heard a few as=
> k about Flash plugin. How do I install it again? I my self am guilty of tha=
> t very thing.=20
>
> I would like to see AKLUG take an active role in promoting open source and =
> Linux. I don't think we are ready to do that. People will have questions ab=
> out Flash plugins and a whole lot more. It would look really cool if we cou=
> ld give people the basic info so they don't have to search the web.=20
>
> My personal goal is to create a simple set of instructions for installing U=
> buntu. This will include multimedia support. Why? Because we all know that =
> multimedia support doesn't get installed by default. I also believe it pres=
> ents a better image. The person gets a Linux CD and enough information to w=
> atch youtube videos in a matter of minutes. No more searching the net for i=
> nformation.=20
>
> Is this wrong? I don't think so. Again, I'm interested in seeing as many pe=
> ople use Linux as possible. If it means I need to create documentation for =
> the end user I'm will willing to do that. Someone was nice and created all =
> the documentation I read before I new anything about Linux.=20
>
> Again, comments are welcome.=20

I'm not saying you're wrong, given your stated goals. What I'm saying is
that when we court *primarily* users we're really doing nothing to further
Linux or keep it relevant. In essence, what you're proposing is really
nothing more than trying to beat Microsoft in their primary market (and you
wonder why that attracts the anti-MS crowd). Let's be frank: I *love*
Linux on the desktop, but all I need is virtual desktops and xterm -- that's
how I spend 99% of my time. Which means I could very realistically just get
by with just the console and maybe screen.

But, as everyone likes to point out, I'm not the norm. So, what does the
norm actually want? Not Linux. Quite frankly, most of the GUI-inclined
"users" are better served by going to OSX than it is going with Linux.
Generally things just work, it has a slick interface, and it's well
supported. The only downside is that its not free, it's actually rather
expensive. But for people already accustomed to paying the MS tax, it's not
that much worse that it's still viable.

So, basically what some here want to do is pursue a market segment that
we're ill-equipped to compete for. Instead of playing to Linux's strengths,
where it's had the broadest adoption and acceptance. Like the embedded
markets (which do have some nice but obviously non-standard interfaces),
server space, virtualization, etc.

Look, Linux is nearing it's 20th birthday and we *still* don't compete out
of the box like you guys want to. But if we were to recruit/develop/breed
some hackers we might someday get there. Recruiting users, however, means
that you're ultimately only going to disillusion or frustrate them until the
run to OSX or Windows. The general home user is not likely to be as open to
working within the limitations imposed by Linux. Because most of the OTS
software on the shelf isn't for Linux. Many of the devices with computer
integration don't support Linux.

... I may have to turn in my Linux zealot card, eh? I'm becoming a
pragmatist in my old age. Linux is *my* primary platform, but it isn't my
family's primary platform. I'm happy with what I have, but they wouldn't
be. And I'm not interested in pounding square pegs into round holes.

         --Arthur Corliss
           Live Free or Die
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Received on Wed Sep 16 22:16:59 2009

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