ease of use debate

[JD Runyan]

Let me define ease-of-use.  Ease of use is me not having to get off my
fat a$$ when I get a phone call from friends and family who
affectionatly call me a guru without having a clue what I do.  None of
these people care what they run as long as they can do what they want.
I would convert all of them to linux except the gamers right now if I
could because of its ease-of-use.  Drop some pretty icons on thier
brightly colored background, and they are happy.  I never get calls from
the gamers, because they aren't patient enough to wait for me, and
figure it out.

I have started my grand experiment with myself running linux at work,
and only using standard rpm's and mandrakes software manager to install
software, which by the way is way out of character for me, and am
getting ready to convert my wife.  She is excited because she will be
able to play the kde games that she likes, so she will be easy.  She is
your typical active user.  She reads email, writes documents, and surfs
the web.  Once she is converted, I will be able to fix problems she has
from work over ssh, rather than telling her "ok now click the thing in
the top left corner and ... no the other thing...doh!!!!!"  if you know
what I mean.  Next comes my cousin, and all my friends.  Most of them
like the idea, because they don't have to go get the latest greatest
computer to function reasonably.

> All we can do is answer questions occasionally and try to make mistakes less
> lethal.  But this is like fire, useful but dangerous if you ignore warnings.
> There is no "list of everthing needing warnings" and never will be.
> 
> There is no way to obtain instant knowledge of everything you will eventually
> need to know.  Common citizens do not attempt to put out large fires or do
> major repairs on any form of technology.  We have "appliance operators" and
> professionals in every technology more advanced than flint knives why do you
> think computers should be different ?
--
JD Runyan
		"You can't milk a point."
			David M. Kuehn, Ph.D.