Linux for computer scientists?

Interesting article seen in shake me

Allow me to introduce myself:

  • Woman
  • not computing
  • about to become a septuagenarian (wow, how time passes ...…

After about 15 years using Win, I "discovered" free software. And as I discovered it, I was seduced by its philosophy, its social projection. And I decided to migrate. It was easy? If being easy is to close the computer with your Win OS today, open it tomorrow with a free distribution, and start working as usual, the answer is NO: it was not easy. But it was not easy to learn to use the computer when one had already completed more than half a century of life. Aaahh my dear Lexikon 80 !! And before her the square Underwood, black with its dark gold drawings ...

No one was rushing me, I took my time. Lives CDs, free applications on Win, dual boot, virtualization of Win on the free OS ... and when I wanted to find out, I no longer used Win ...

I started with Mandriva and then went to KUbuntu (now 8.04., Without updating to 8.10 as I have been told that in this version KDE does not work well). Mandriva is a beautiful distribution, but on this side of the planet (BUE, Argentina) there is not much community of users and much less technicians who mess with it. So I chose an Ubuntu "flavor" for which there are forums, many people who handle it and better chances of finding a technician to take over to help a user in trouble.

I have not required more help as a free software user than I needed as a Win user.

So that linux is for computer scientists ... no, I don't think so.

If people do not migrate more, it is for other reasons.

One is comfort. «With what I know is enough for me. Why else?» There the problem resides in that peripheral that is located between the keyboard and the back of the chair. Let's leave him to chance.

Let's now look at those others who are restless, who are not daunted by the challenge and who are convinced of the philosophical and social benefits of free software.

First problem: the shortage of courses for beginner USERS. Non-computer scientists are thought of as "migrant" beings without paying attention to all those who start using the computer on a daily basis and who need to learn to use applications. That novice - surely he is an adult, children and youngsters learn by themselves. He opens the newspaper and finds 10 MS Office teaching centers within 4 blocks of his house, he doesn't find any where he is taught to use a word processor, a spreadsheet, etc. And if you find one that says "Linux for beginners", it is to train operators, not to initiate a "common" user in the use of his computer. What is that person doing? He goes where they teach him to use Word, or Excel, or Power Point. Lost a potential free software user.

Second problem and heavier than the previous one: the shortage of technicians that you call him, come to your house, put on the witch hat, write some cabalistic signs on the console and fix the problem for you. Free software has advanced thanks to the professional work of specialists - obviously, it could not be otherwise - and that intermediate layer of technicians so necessary for the non-expert user has not yet been formed. Then you find that if you have something stuck you have to enter a forum, where the minor problem may be how to ask and the major, how to interpret and execute the answer. And if you start looking for help outside of a forum, they are all systems engineers or network administrators, or computer security experts ... no, those do not come to your house. In this aspect the user is still helpless.

Well, this whole speech is to say:

Gentlemen, the use of free software is for everyone, not just for computer scientists.

The “common” user needs technical and pedagogical support services. That is missing. There is a niche to fill ... Those who are qualified to occupy it or train those who or occupy it to wake up! 🙂

Original article Kriptopolis.org


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