D&C GLug - Home Page

[ Date Index ] [ Thread Index ] [ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]

Re: [LUG] Are we too technical for our own good ?

 

On Thursday 10 May 2007 12:44, george wrote:

> I'm a relative beginner and I think the LUG is great and does what was
> intended.  But it is not for everyone.  I spend at least an hour per day
> (alright, 2) 'playing' with linux and the LUG is a good source of
> information for me.  My wife, on the other hand, would not touch it with a
> bargepole, although she spends at least 2 hours per day sat at a computer
> for pleasure. She is just not interested in how it works and has no
> intention of finding out.  If it didn't work and I was not there to fix it
> I believe she would just abandon it and go back to other ways of doing
> things.  And I believe that a large majority of computer users feel the
> same way.
>

Very true. My wife is a Linux user, but never gets involved with message 
boards, forums or lists. Different people prefer to work in different 
ways....

> Let's face it, most of us are at least a touch 'nerdish'.  You have to have
> an interest in a subject before committing the amount of time we do.  And
> as for posting to the list.  I reckon there are a large number of lurkers
> out there or the membership is very small.  A lot of people work on the
> principle that if you keep your head down you won't attract thrown rocks.
>

I think we are all a bit "nerdy" or "geeky" ;)  Whether it is Linux, Mac or 
Windows, people who like to tinker or try to get a little more involved with 
their OS or PC are always viewed as such. Personally, I see it as a 
compliment! 
At least one list "lurker" is known to me - so yes, I expect the vast majority 
prefer to read and avoid posting unless they have a specific problem. 
I would hope that anyone who posted here would get a civil response - although 
very occasionally I do see slightly off-hand responses.  Those are usually 
dealt with by others though.

> And that, IMHO, is how it should be.  We are all different and long may we
> be so.  Tell you're Mum 'Hello. I'm sorry if we bored you, but thank you
> for trying.'
>
> George Parker

I am a bit disappointed that Mum found the list too much to cope with. It is 
very hard to deal with some issues in a way which new users could follow 
easily. However, if the new user asked, I am sure that the person dealing 
with the query could go into it in a more "user friendly" manner - I know I 
am happy to do so. 
I have been a Linux user for several years, but sometimes things go over my 
head on the list. I can just skim those posts or, if I really want to know, I 
can ask. 

One quick point - if a list is set up for new users, can we please avoid using 
the term "newbie" or the other variants? I appreciate it is common to use 
those terms, but they always seem slightly derogatory to me - even though 
they are not meant in that way I am sure. "New users" is not much longer :) 

Mark

-- 
The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG
http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list
FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html