Recent experience advocating Linux

[Borden Rhodes]

As I said, Linux is making progress, but it has a long way to go.  My concerns 
also aren't 'in the past' - I have no shortage of problems with my current 
installation with updated packages.

Getting people to try Linux is important but what is more important is making 
sure that they have a good experience with it and they want to use it.  At my 
old church we had a huge advertising and publicity campaign to attract people 
to fill the church.  We filled the church alright but we had nothing to offer 
them so they never returned!

So, is the user experience good?  My experience has been that almost *no* 
hardware 'just works' and it requires substantial tinkering. So what about 
cases like me who don't have my patience or knowledge?

Yes, there are forums and mailing lists and tldp.org.  TLDP is badly outdated 
and technical but that's not their fault - I know from their mailing list that 
they try hard but lack the resources.  Forums and mailing lists are abundant, 
but I often see unanswered questions or posts which degenerate into debates or 
well-meaning shots-in-the-dark by people who admit that they never use the 
hardware/software in question.  I'm drafting a response to ESR's 'How to ask 
questions the smart way' titled 'How to answer questions the smart way' to 
address these frustrations.

So, yes, there are lots benefits to Linux: it's very powerful, it's free, it's 
fast and it works just as well a year from now as the day you installed it 
(providing that you don't tinker at root level).  Those are all persuasive 
benefits but the common user - whom I know from my business - doesn't care 
about features and speed if the software is difficult to use and segfaults!

On 3 June 2010 13:56:38 you wrote:
>  From my own experience, that can be a myth!
> 
> I have numerous times now discovered, that users of
> windows computers had problems connecting printers.
> And even PC technicians from stores were not able to
> find the right driver to get the printer working (and
> I am talking standard HP printers here).
> 
> However, if you install Ubuntu on the same machine
> the printer just works without any configurations, hence
> passing the Eric Raymond test.
> 
> Please lets stop live in the past. Ubuntu is now as easy
> (if not easier) to use as Windows. And we are also making
> strides trying to catch up with the user experience of Apple
> which is certainly excellent. However, just wait for the next
> two releases and we will have made additional strides.
> 
> The nice thing for ubuntu is, you can do both. There is
> nothing that prevents you from using command line
> terminal if you are good in using that, however,
> point&click is supported equally.
> 
> Just my 2c
> 
> Ralph (txwikinger)