[ale] Re: your mail

[Greulich, Thomas G]

	snip 
> (The following is a general statement) It seems like to ask Linux newbies
> nowadays
> to read a little bit before hand is almost a crime.  Perhaps its because
> most of
> them are migrating from more "user-friendly" environments like that other
> operating system that starts with a W, and take offense to the fact that
> they
> might have to do a little research in order to use their computer.
> (Several
> times to the isp-linux list have I been snapped at by a newbie because I
> told
> him he might have to read some documentation =)Man, Linux nowadays is a
> walk
> in the park compared to that cryptic version of Slackware I was installing
> way 
> back then -- there was nothing user-friendly about that, I assure you.  It
> almost hurt =]  
>  
	Yeah, and we walked uphill both ways.....  ;-)
	  
> Anyways, I'll get off my soapbox now.  I think most anyone here [the ALE
> list] 
> would strongly advise a newbie to do a little pre-install reading (even if
> you are installing Caldera's version -- never used it myself, but I've
> heard
> of quite a few people who do) so that you understand what that install
> program
> is doing.  Never hurts to know.
> 
> $.02
> 
> -Dave
> dbrooks at elysium.comstar.net 
> 
	snip the rest  

	I feel I have to speak up at this point.  Several of the responses
to this thread have basically been saying that the only way to 'properly'
install and use Linux is to go through the steep learning curve that most of
the folks on this list have gone through.  That's fine for those who want to
be on the leading edge.  But if we truly want to make LInux more universal
and to steal market share from M$, we are going to have to come to grips
with the fact that we need to attract users who see the computer as a tool,
and nothing more.  People who want nothing more than to install the OS,
their productivity apps, and get to work.  People who would migrate to Linux
because of cost, stability, etc.   They don't care how or why it works, just
that it does.  Until we can tap this group, Linux will stay in the realm of
the hobbyist.  If we don't tap this group fairly soon, people will start to
remember LInux as this fad that passed.  Linux currently has the attention
of the press and the mainstream users.  If we don't do something to ease the
entry for the mainstream users, we will have lost our opportunity.

	</SOAPBOX>

	Tom Greulich
	Operations Analyst
	Warfare Analysis and Research Lab (WARLAB)
	Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems
	thomas.g.greulich at lmco.com