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Re: [LUG] Names and group learning

 

On Thursday 20 January 2005 10:44 pm, Julian Hall wrote:

As far as I am concerned as a 9 year Winblows user converting to Linux, I
am much more concerned with a reliable easy-to-use alternative than what it
is called.

So am I, honestly. That's why I'm writing code - I'm trying to do my bit to 
make GNU easier to use. You do your bit by answering some of the questions on 
here that would otherwise need to be answered by someone else.

Note that I'm not making Linux any easier to use - my emphasis is almost 
entirely on inter-operability and portability. If a library doesn't run 
without Linux, I won't use it. The effect will be that *all* GNU environments 
will be a tad easier to use, including MacOSX, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, BSD and 
GNU/Linux.

In effect, Linux is only one of many targets for my code - there is more 
outside Linux than within.

There is a time and place for discussions about licensing and correct
terminology.  With the greatest respect to those more expert in such areas,
I think the dual aims of educating people about the nature of various
licenses, and converting them from other OSs to Linux are mutually
exclusive, at least to a certain extent.

Whilst true, the group is diverse. There are new users, yes, but there are 
also old hands here who appreciate the finer points. Separating the old hands 
onto an experts list is daft - I would not be writing code now if I hadn't 
had the chance to lurk and learn from the likes of Theo, Simon, Alex, Pete 
(H) and Neil S. Go back to the 2001 archives and see some of the daft 
questions I raised - you'll see I'm not that long out of being a newbie 
myself!

A two stage process is more 
appropriate IMHO, first get them using Linux, *then* teach them what the
different licenses and ethos are.

But who are we to say when someone has graduated from one to the other? How 
will they know themselves unless the topics are discussed and questions 
answered?

I'm generalising, but I suspect the vast majority of contributors and
lurkers on this (and other) LUG mailing lists are fairly technically adept.

And we have an obligation to encourage everyone to continue learning so that 
they can teach others.

If we want Joe/Jane Bloggs in the street to convert to Linux we can't be
scaring him/her off with insistence on correct terminology all the time.

This topic has come back again and again over recent months. It started with a 
Debian masterclass that was deemed unwelcoming to newbies.

From time to time, there will be discussions and meetings that are not to 
everyone's taste. Some will be too basic, some going over people's heads. The 
important thing is that it *doesn't matter* - people can make their own 
choices about which threads to join, which threads to ignore. (As long as 
people change the subject lines!)

The number of customers I've spoken to in the last few years who referred
to "Uploading" information from their CD-ROM or floppy disk could make you
tear your hair out.  The average computer user does not care what the
correct terms for what they do are, they just want it to work.

Fine - once that user gets a little experience and a little knowledge, they 
need something more. People need to find their place and their role, there is 
a need to advance and grow. 

Windows, why does Linux have to be different?"  Some people don't want to
know the technical terms, they just want to use their computer.

You know, this is trotted out all the time. Stop and think about it. When 
someone says that, do they mean that someone can use a computer with 
absolutely zero knowledge? Every task starts somewhere - using a mouse is 
unfamiliar and needs to be learnt. Using a keyboard is not natural or 
instinctive to most.

The nebulous term "People who just want to use their computer" includes ME! I 
just want it to work so that I can get on with what I'm doing, writing new 
code. I don't want to be fiddling around in X config or /etc/httpd/httpd.conf 
when what I need is QofSession and strtotime().

I wasted half a morning because ViewCVS wouldn't setup properly - that was 
*really* annoying. I just wanted it to work.

All that differs is the starting point and if everyone is condemned to stay at 
the start, how is anyone going to progress?

On a side issue I just thought of.  The average user is familiar with the
terms Linux and *Linux User Group* or LUG.  So if they want help on Linux
in their area they will go to Mr Google and type in, for example "Devon
LUG". If the group name is changed to GLUG the chances are Google will miss
the group entirely, or even if the helpful query says "Did you mean Devon
GLUG?" the user will say No not knowing a GLUG from a hole in the wall.

That's one reason why the names will run side by side. The website is heavily 
indexed and regularly spidered by Google and there will be no end of 
references, particularly to archive messages.

All through my time as webmaster for this group, I've concentrated on 
maintaining that infrastructure. When Alex had to re-organise the archive, I 
wrote a HTTP404 script that calculates the new location of the message and 
offers to re-direct the enquirer to that message, complete with a little 
abstract of the content so that they know where they are going.

With the next re-organisation of the website, I'm taking pains to retain the 
old directory structure even though it is almost completely redundant. 
Symlinks will operate to allow existing bookmarks and indices to find the 
original page. Links on the page will then take any interested user into the 
new locations.

A lot of hard work goes into making something 'just work'!!!

I appreciate how much because I'm writing some of it, it is annoying to find 
that some don't realise how much hard work is needed before it will 'just 
work'.

-- 

Neil Williams
=============
http://www.dcglug.org.uk/
http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/isbnsearch/
http://www.williamsleesmill.me.uk/
http://www.biglumber.com/x/web?qs=0x8801094A28BCB3E3

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