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Ben Goodger wrote: > On 10/07/06, Neil Stone <neil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: >> >> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- >> Hash: SHA1 >> >> Kelly Jones wrote: >> > can anyone point me in the right direction for a Linux distro suitable >> > for young children? >> > >> >> are you saying that GNU/Linux should have a 13 certificate ?? > > > 15 certificate - "What's DOS doing on a new computer like this?" > PG certificate - "Daddy, why is the computer calling me a titty-one?" > 12 certificate - "Mum, I don't know why, but the computer's gone all > strange > - something about a panicky colonel. It's not blue, so it can't have > crashed..." > > Forgive my usual pessimism, but frankly I don't think that any OS (besides > Mac OS (uni)X) is suitable for those under 8 without adult supervision, and > I wouldn't expose GNU to anyone under 15 in general - no matter what GNOME > devs say, it must be learnt and will people do so? Will they hell. Preteens > and early teens are particularly bad at this (incl. me) - and I hardly > think > that most of the error messages output by the average (somewhat screwed up) > Linux system are suitable for preteen comprehension, let alone exposure. > > Having said that, there are one or two IT staff in my school who I would > just love to throttle - "Linux is not suitable for the school environment", > "I installed Kubuntu without X because I only wanted KDE", "Machine code == > binary", "A DVD's capacity =~ 7GB" "Don't be silly, why would anyone want a > scalable GUI for a VB app?" etc etc lead me to believe that the average > person should be prevented from using a computer at all, UNIX or not. > I agree with your last statement. The majority think of a computer as just another appliance ie. a TV, DVD/CD player etc. To me it's a tool and like any tool you have to learn how to use it or it will do you (and possibly others) harm. IMHO this is one of Microsoft's unforgivable marketing ploys in fostering the idea that a computer is a mass consumer product. Keith -- 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